The Strong Will Survive
by dolphingirl375
Summary: This story takes place several days after "See Ya". It follows the adventures of our intrepid explorers who split off from the main group at 'Club 29 Down' looking for civilization, a way off the island, the others, anything...Rating is more T than M.
1. Chapter 1

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Flight 29 Down nor any of its characters (If I did there'd be no chance in Hades of Taylor EVER getting Jackson!) but the plot is my own. I used some of the background information from the F29D books and expanded on it.**

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**Author's Note: This story takes place several days after "See Ya". It follows the adventures of our intrepid explorers who split off from the main group at 'Club 29 Down'. This is my idea of how the series should have continued (for the most part) if it was moved to cable and only followed one group. **

**It's rated T for some violence and 'intimate' scenes later on. (It may need to be rated M later). Read with caution!**

**I confess to using poetic license with some facts for the sake of the story.**

**Suspend disbelief to fully enjoy.**

**This is my first fanfic ever and I started writing it back in February. I have it almost complete but every time I read it I change it which is frustrating and makes me feel like I'll never finish. **

**I welcome all comments and constructive criticism. Hope you enjoy! **

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**Chapter One**

"Come on, wake up! We need to get going!" Abby yelled into the tent.

"Wha?? Huh? Whasswrong?" Eric said groggily. "Didn't we just lay down?" He rolled over and immediately started snoring again.

Melissa sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Abby, it's still dark. What time is it, anyway?"

"It's 5:30," Jackson said sleepily, checking his watch's lighted dial and rubbing his eyes.

"It won't hurt to wait another hour when it's light out," Melissa said stifling a huge yawn. "And anyway, we can't pack up camp in the dark."

"We have a lot of ground to cover, we need to get moving!!" Abby snapped.

"Abby!" Jackson yelled from his corner of the tent. He sat up. "Chill! Mel's right. We need to wait until it's light out. We can't pack our gear in the dark, we may overlook something important, something we need."

"Fine! I knew I should have come by myself," Abby grumbled as she stalked out of the tent.

Melissa was next to Jackson and could just make out his face in the dark tent. They exchanged glances of surprise mixed with '_what _was that about?' "Should we go back to sleep or get up and start getting ready?" she asked.

"Let's get a little more shut-eye," Jackson said. "We're gonna need all we can get."

They both lay back down in their sleeping bags. Jackson closed his eyes and went right back to sleep. Melissa lay there for a few minutes thinking about what had just happened. She listened to Jackson's rhythmic breathing and was soon sleeping herself.

At 6:30 the alarm on Jackson's watch started beeping. He turned it off and slowly sat up wiping the sleep from his eyes. He leaned over on one elbow and looked down at Melissa. She looked so peaceful and carefree. He watched her for a few seconds and couldn't help smiling. He hated to disturb her but he could hear Abby banging around outside and knew she'd be impatient to get started. "Mel," he said softly, gently nudging her. "Time to wake up."

Melissa slowly opened her eyes. There was Jackson's face hovering above hers, those beautiful blue eyes looking into hers. "Am I dreaming?" she asked sleepily.

"Afraid not, it's time to get up," he said.

She smiled at him and wiped the sleep out of her eyes for the second time that morning and stretched. "What?" she asked when she noticed him staring at her.

Jackson was looking at her with a big grin on his face. "Nothing."

"You're staring at me, what's wrong? Oh God, is there something hanging out of my nose?" she asked, her hand flying up to cover her nose.

He laughed softly. "No, it's just…" he said.

"What?" she asked.

"It's just that you make the cutest face when you stretch," he replied.

"Oh," she said. She felt a little self-conscious but she smiled at him to cover her embarrassment.

Jackson sat up straight and kicked Eric's big foot. "Hey!" he yelled. "Time to rise and shine, sunshine!"

Eric yelped and rolled over rubbing his eyes. "Oww! Easy there, chief," he said. "You'll break my foot!"

"Then get up!" he replied, aiming another kick at Eric's now exposed shin.

Eric saw Jackson getting ready to kick him again so he sat up fast and pulled his legs into his chest. "Chill, man!" he said. "I'm up. I'm up. No need for violence." With that Eric grabbed his shoes and hat and crawled out of the tent.

"About time!" they heard Abby say crossly.

Jackson and Melissa exchanged glances again. Melissa shrugged. "Guess we better get out there before there's blood shed." They picked up their shoes and went outside.

"Finally!" Abby said. "Are we going to have this late of a start everyday?" She had already boiled more water and filled all of their canteens and extra water bottles. There was fruit waiting for breakfast and her pack was all ready to go.

"Calm down, Abby," Jackson said. "The sun is just starting to rise. It would be stupid to move before it's full light. We'll have plenty of daylight. We'll cover a lot of ground today."

"Whatever!" she said rolling her eyes. "Just hurry up and eat so we can pack up and get going."

"Sheesh!" Eric said quietly.

Abby glared at him.

Eric ducked his head and avoided her eyes. He pretended to be tying his boot again.

While Eric, Melissa and Jackson ate their fruit Abby dumped their backpacks and sleeping bags out of the tent and started rolling it up.

"Abby, we'll help you with that in a minute," Jackson said.

"I've got it," she said angrily.

Eric walked by Melissa and said quietly in her ear, "Well, we can see who's _not _a morning person." Melissa put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Jackson, Melissa and Eric rolled up their sleeping bags and tied them onto their packs. Jackson went over and helped Abby finish rolling up the tent and put it away. Soon they had all of their gear packed and ready. They kicked dirt over the fire and made sure it was out.

"Well, let's go," Jackson said.

Abby was already walking rapidly down the beach. Eric grabbed Jackson's wrist and looked at his watch. It was 7:00 on the dot. The sun was just above the horizon of the ocean. "Geez, what's her hurry?" he asked.

"I guess she's just anxious to find Ian, Jory and Captain Russell," Melissa said as she hurried after Abby's quickly retreating back.

"We all are but come on! This is earlier than I get up for school!" Eric said as he strolled after the group. He was anxious and excited to finally be _moving_, doing something to hopefully get off this island, but his inherent laziness won out in the mornings. _Guess I'm not really a morning person either, _he thought. _But at least I'm not a total grouch!_

The group walked along the beach all morning. It was getting hotter and hotter. They had to walk fast to keep up with Abby's relentless pace. She wouldn't stop for anything. They were all dragging by 11:30. The sun was beating down on them and Jackson called for a stop. Melissa and Eric gratefully dropped their packs on the sand and plopped down beside them pulling their water bottles out. Eric started fanning his face with his hat. Abby continued walking.

"Abby! Hey, Abby!" Jackson yelled. "We're stopping for lunch!". She appeared not to hear him. She kept right on walking. Jackson sighed and dropped his pack. He got out his water bottle, took a long pull on it then set it down and went sprinting down the beach after Abby. When he caught up to her he was out of breath. "Abby, come on. We're stopping for lunch," he panted.

She kept right on walking. Jackson caught up to her again and grabbed her arm. "Abby! Stop!"

She stopped and stared at him. _There's something wrong with her eyes, _he thought. "Abby, you can't keep up this pace without a break. In this heat you're gonna keel over!" She just kept staring at him. "Abby!" Jackson slapped her. Abby closed her eyes for a minute and shook her head from side to side. She opened her eyes and glared at him. _Now someone's home,_ Jackson thought.

"What?" Abby barked.

"It's 11:30 and we've been walking hard since seven without a break. We're stopping for lunch and a little rest," Jackson said.

"Oh, fine, whatever," Abby said somewhat dazedly.

They walked back to join Melissa and Eric who had moved up into the shade of the trees and Melissa had gotten out the fruit and passed it around. "Make sure you drink plenty of water, we can't risk dehydration or heat exhaustion in this weather," she said.

Abby sat down and accepted the fruit Melissa offered. She seemed more quiet than usual. Jackson kept watching Abby. She drank a little water and ate her fruit. After a while everyone went their separate ways into the trees to relieve themselves. Jackson and Melissa were the first ones back. They walked down to the ocean to wash their hands and splash cool water on their faces.

"What's up with Abby?" Melissa asked. "She seems more distant than usual and I noticed you keep watching her."

"I'm worried about her, Mel. When I went after her, her eyes were vacant. She was totally out of it. I had to slap her to bring her around. I noticed she hadn't been drinking her water during our hike. She didn't drink more than a few sips just now."

Melissa looked at him with a concerned expression. "You think she's gonna get heat exhaustion?"

"Yeah, I do. But I know how much of a fight it's going to be to stop her. I don't know what to do, Mel," he said running his hand back and forth through his hair.

"What are you two talking about?" Eric asked walking up. He leaned over and scrubbed his hands with sand in the ocean then removed his hat, scooped up water with it and poured it over his head. "Aahhh. That feels so good!"

Jackson looked over his shoulder to make sure Abby wouldn't hear him. She hadn't come out of the trees. "Abby's on the way to giving herself heat exhaustion," he said quietly. She hasn't been drinking her water and she's already out of it. If we try to make her stay she's gonna go off big time."

"So what do we do, chief?" Eric asked.

"I have an idea," Melissa said.

"We're all ears," Jackson and Eric said in unison.

"Well, it's a little dangerous but I think it'll be okay." They looked at her expectantly. "We'll just let her go. We'll watch her very carefully and when she finally collapses, we'll be ready. I have some salt tablets in my pack and we still have plenty of water. We can set up camp, boil more water, get cool water from the ocean. We know the drill…"

"That sounds a little too risky," Jackson said shaking his head slightly.

"What other options do we have?" Eric asked. "You know how stubborn she is".

"I'll tell her we're stopping here, now, for the day and if she puts up too much of a fight, we'll go with Mel's plan. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Hey, Abby's not back yet, she has to be done with her uh, you know, business," Melissa said, blushing a little.

They all looked at each other then took off running for the trees. They found Abby passed out on the ground. Jackson picked her up and carried her back to their packs. Melissa ran ahead and already had Abby's sleeping bag rolled out. Jackson laid Abby on it and they all sprang into action. Jackson put up the tent while Eric started the fire. Melissa was putting wet cloths on Abby's face and neck. She fished the salt tablets out of her pack and mixed them with water. Eric helped hold Abby's head up while they forced the liquid down her throat.

Abby finally came to but she was very disoriented. "What's going on?" she murmured.

"You have heat exhaustion, Abby. But you'll be okay," Melissa said. "You just need to rest now and drink as much water as possible."

"How's she doing?" Jackson asked.

"Not bad. We caught it in time. I think she'll be fine by tomorrow. We'll need a lot more water, though."

"C'mon, Eric," Jackson said. "We need to find more water."

"I'm right with ya, chief," he said grabbing the empty water containers.

Jackson and Eric took off into the trees. Melissa watched them go. She smiled to herself. _Wow, Eric really comes through when the chips are down. He hasn't complained about any of the work, yet. _

Melissa kept forcing water into Abby who was somewhat lucid. She replaced the cool cloths often to keep her body temperature down. _Lucky for us there's a nice breeze here_.

Soon, the boys returned with full water containers. "There's a stream about one hundred yards from here," Jackson said. "I'm going to see if I have any luck fishing. How's Abby?"

"Not bad," Melissa replied. "She's regained consciousness, I've gotten a lot of water into her and she doesn't have a fever. She's very lucky."

"No kidding," Jackson said, shaking his head slightly. "And she has the best nurse in the world," he added. Jackson smiled at Melissa.

She smiled and ducked her head to hide her blush. "Oh, go catch some fish. I'm tired of eating fruit and the protein will do Abby good." Jackson walked into the trees grinning.

Eric boiled water and refilled their canteens and water bottles. After that he took over for Melissa. Abby was awake now and sitting up drinking water. _We so dodged a bullet, _he thought.

"I'm going to take a little walk to stretch my legs and maybe look for more food," Melissa said. "Will you be all right alone?"

"Yeah, fine," Eric said. "Take your time."

_I can't believe how sweet and helpful Eric is being _she thought. Melissa walked into the trees and started looking for fruit. She stopped and started stretching. She had been sitting over Abby for a few hours and was stiff. Suddenly she smiled as Jackson's comment from this morning came back to her '_you make the cutest face when you stretch'._ All of a sudden, Melissa felt warm. She headed in the direction of the stream to splash some water on her face. Along the way she spotted a heavily laden banana tree. _Score!_ _There's plenty of ripe ones for now and a lot of green ones we can pack for tomorrow._ Melissa went to the stream and splashed water on her face and neck. She looked upstream and thought she saw something or someone in the distance.

She walked toward it quietly and soon realized it was Jackson. He was totally unaware Melissa was approaching. She stopped when she heard something. He was singing softly. She couldn't remember the name of the song or the artist but she recognized the tune. She would never forget that tune. It was playing the first time she danced with Jackson, back at the plane when Lex and Abby had set up a dance to 'make happy memories'. Melissa smiled to herself. _I hope this means he's thinking of that night, too. _She then made some noise as she slowly walked toward him.

Jackson heard something and stopped singing. He looked to his left and there was Melissa headed toward him. He smiled a greeting and she smiled back. He felt a little flutter in his stomach. "How's Abby?" he asked.

"She's awake now and drinking a lot of water. Eric's watching her . How's the fishing going?"

"See for yourself ," he said, nodding toward the bank. Melissa saw several good sized fish speared on a stick.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Guess I know what's for dinner! Do you think Eric will clean them?"

They both laughed. "I thought I'd try and get one more before calling it quits," he said. At that moment his line pulled against his hand and he yanked it back. A big silver fish came sailing out of the water and landed right at Melissa's feet.

"Whoa! Looks like that one's mine!" she said laughing. Jackson was laughing too. Melissa looked at him and said, "You have a nice laugh. You should do it more often."

He looked a little embarrassed and concentrated on taking the hook out of the fish's mouth. "Uh, thanks," he said awkwardly.

_Oh great! _Mel thought. _Way to say something dumb and embarrass him! God, I'm so stupid sometimes! Arrgh! _"Well, I'm uh, gonna go get some bananas I saw earlier and um, check on Abby. I'll see you back at camp," she said before turning and walking away as fast as she could, trying not to call too much attention to herself. _Laugh more often! We're stranded on a deserted island and there's sickness and danger around every corner! Yeah, a real laugh riot! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I wish the ground would just swallow me up right now! _

"Yeah, see ya," Jackson called but when he looked up Melissa was already gone. _No one's ever told me I have a nice laugh before, _he thought. _Nice of someone to notice. But then, I guess I don't laugh much. There hasn't been much to laugh about here. Or back home…_

Melissa gathered as many bananas as she thought they could use. She stumbled out of the trees with them and barely made it to the camp site before dropping them all. Jackson was already cleaning the fish. Surprisingly, Eric was still boiling and filtering water. "Where's Abby?" she asked. "In the tent, sleeping?"

"No," Eric answered. "She's been doing really well so I moved her down near the ocean." He saw the shocked look on Melissa's face and before she could utter a word he said, "Don't worry! She's fine. She just wanted to sit by the water for a while. You know, change of scenery. She's in shade and has plenty of water with her and I've been checking on her like, every fifteen minutes. She even ate a mango and two bananas. Her walking was pretty steady too. She wouldn't let me help her."

"Are you sure she's okay?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, go see for yourself!" Eric said. "She's fine. You know how I know? Because she's acting the same way she did this morning. Don't expect any gratitude for saving her life and taking care of her all day."

Melissa walked toward the ocean. She saw Abby sitting under some shade carefully sharpening her knife. She stopped only to take an occasional swig of water. Melissa walked up and sat down. "Hey Abby!" she said cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said coldly looking out at the ocean.

Melissa studied Abby's face. Eric was right. The same hard expression was back, the same mean look in the eyes. The same cold voice. "Do you need anything?" she tried again.

Still, Abby did not take her eyes off the ocean. "No. I'm fine. We've wasted a whole day here," she said.

"Well, not the whole day, Abby," Melissa started.

"As far as I'm concerned it was a wasted day. I told Eric a few hours ago that I was ready to go but you and Jackson were nowhere to be found. What were you doing? Playing kissy-face in the jungle?" Abby said finally looking at Melissa with a sour expression on her face.

Melissa was dumbfounded! Then she became angry. (Well, angry for Melissa). _I can't believe Abby is talking to me like this! _she thought. "That is so not fair, Abby!" she said. "We took care of you for several hours then I went to gather bananas and Jackson caught a bunch of fish for our dinner!"

"Whatever!" Abby snapped back. She was looking out across the ocean again. She seemed to have dismissed Melissa.

"I'll call you when um, dinner's ready," Melissa said weakly. She started to walk away but then changed her mind. She turned and took a few steps toward Abby and addressed her back, "You know, you were in serious trouble today. You could be at least a _little bit _grateful!" Melissa turned and walked back to the camp fire. _The nerve! _she fumed.

"So, how's Abby?" Jackson asked. He and Eric were now cooking the fish on sticks over the fire.

"Eric's right. She's back to the _charming_ Abby she was this morning. She told me we've wasted the whole day sitting around here. She. She said…" Melissa was so mad and embarrassed she couldn't get out that Abby had accused her and Jackson of making out in the jungle all afternoon. "Ooh! I just can't believe her attitude! I'm taking a little walk!" Melissa said as she stormed off toward the trees.

"I tried to tell you!" Eric called to her.

"Hey, Mel! Don't be gone long, the fish is almost ready!" Jackson called after her. Melissa gave a half-hearted wave over her shoulder to show she'd heard him. "C'mon," he said to Eric, she can't be _that _bad."

"Okay, chief." Eric replied. "Just wait. You'll see."

Ten minutes later Melissa emerged from the trees looking and feeling much better than when she'd left. She had walked to the stream and washed her face. She'd also found a piece of bamboo and beat it against a tree that she pretended was Abby's face until the bamboo broke in two. _No one needs to know I did that, _she thought. She smiled at Eric and Jackson as she approached. "Is dinner ready?" she asked.

"Yep, we're just taking them off the fire now," Eric said.

"Good. I'll go get Abby," Melissa replied. She walked down the beach to where Abby was sitting. "Dinner's ready, Abby," she said. "Do you need a hand?" She looked at Abby hoping to see a little gratitude, attitude change, _anything_ on her face. Abby had the same cold look she'd worn earlier.

"I'm fine. I'll be there in a minute," she said.

Melissa turned and walked calmly back to the fire.

"Well?" Jackson asked.

"No change," Melissa replied.

They all sat in silence eating their fish. As their stomachs filled with something other than fruit, the mood relaxed a little. The sun was going down and the sky was taking on a myriad of beautiful colors. There was a fresh breeze blowing off the ocean. Eric was the first to break the peaceful silence.

"Oooh. Ummm. Jackson," he said with a mouthful of fish. "This tastes soo good after all that fruit! I'm _never_ gonna complain about eating fish again. Props to you, chief!" He gave Jackson a thumbs-up.

Melissa laughed. Jackson snorted, "Yeah, right!" He looked over at Abby. Her appetite seemed to have returned. She was matching Eric mouthful for mouthful. "How are you feeling, Abby?" he asked.

"I'm fine!" she said rather harshly. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that."

"Oooh-kay," he said under his breath glancing at Eric and Melissa. "I think there's enough fish left that we can dry some to eat in the morning and we may have enough to take with us tomorrow," he announced.

"Oh, chief, that'd be great!" Eric said patting his stomach contentedly. "I'm so wanting something other than bananas, mangoes and coconuts for breakfast."

Abby finally spoke. "Is there enough water for tomorrow or do we have to waste time in the morning boiling some?"

"Nope, it's all been taken care of milady," Eric said in a bad British accent. He pointed at the line of canteens and extra water bottles. "All filled and ready, mum. There's even a whole pot to use for our morning constitutionals," he said, still with the bad accent.

"Good, then I'm going to bed and I suggest all of you do the same," Abby announced and with that, she stood up, walked into the tent and pulled the flap shut.

"Well I'm not going to waste such a gorgeous sunset. I'm going to take a little walk on the beach," Melissa said.

"Want some company?" Jackson asked.

"Sure," she replied. "What about you, Eric? Wanna join us?"

"Nope. I'm fine right here. As a matter of fact, I think I will join Abby and turn in. See you in the morning!" he said. He stood up slowly groaning a little and went into the tent.

"Good night, then," Melissa said. "Shall we?" she said turning to Jackson.

"After you," he said bowing.

They walked down to the ocean. The sky was gorgeous. It was all pink and purple in the waning light. Melissa sat down in the sand. She couldn't believe how beautiful it was here. Jackson plopped down next to her. He was watching her as she watched the ocean. She had the most serene look on her face. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Oh, um, I don't know," she said. "I guess I was just thinking how beautiful it is here and it's a shame we can't take the time to appreciate it. It's kind of a waste, you know?" she said.

Jackson looked out at the horizon. "I guess it is beautiful. I never really stopped to think about it. I've never had much time in my life to 'stop and smell the roses' or 'take in the scenery'," he said.

"I'm sorry, Jackson," she said.

"Oh, no, it's okay. I mean, it never bothered me because I never knew I was missing it _because_ I never had the time to notice. Does that even make sense?" he asked.

"Sort of, I guess," she said. "I think I know what you mean." Melissa sighed loudly and said, "Do you know how much people pay for a view like this? But as beautiful as it is, it would be a thousand times more beautiful if there was a rescue ship or plane out there." Melissa heaved another big sigh.

Jackson looked at Melissa. Her eyes were shiny and she had two large tears rolling down her face. "Mel!" he said suddenly worried. "What's wrong?" Jackson moved closer until their shoulders were touching. He turned to face Melissa. She wouldn't look at him.

"Nothing. It's nothing, just stupid," she mumbled turning her head away.

"Mel, c'mon, it's me," he said. He put a finger under her chin and pulled slowly until she was facing him. "Mel, look at me. Tell me what's wrong?" _I can't stand to see her so unhappy, _he thought.

Melissa raised her big brown eyes and gazed into Jackson's blue ones. He used the back of his index finger to gently wipe away her tears. _I can't believe this! _she thought. _A perfect sunset on a beautiful tropical island with the most amazing boy I've ever known and I'm crying! What is wrong with me?_

"Mel, shh," he soothed while gently stroking her cheek. "Come on, tell me."

"Oh, I don't know!" she sighed. "I guess it's a lot of things…just build up, you know? Being stuck here, fighting for survival, praying for rescue, wondering how Nathan, Daley, Lex and Taylor are, worrying about Abby and Jory, Ian and Captain Russell, missing my family and pizza and ice cream and going to the movies and driving my car, just _everything_." _And sitting next to you and wanting to kiss you so much and not being able to, _she thought. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed. Sometimes, when I see something this beautiful," she gestured toward the ocean and the sunset that was now mostly dark purples and blues as the moon was slowly rising, "it's like a release valve just goes off and all my pent-up emotions come tumbling out. God, that sounds so crazy!" she said and tried to turn away again as fresh tears flowed down her cheeks.

"No it doesn't!" Jackson said. He took Melissa by the upper arms and pulled her around to face him. "Mel, that's like, the most sane thing I've heard around here in a long time. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to have and feel emotions. That's one of the things I like best about you. Be happy you _can_ feel them! Do you want to be like Abby?" _God, I want to kiss her so bad right now, _he thought.

Melissa's expression froze. "I never thought about it like that," she finally said. "I don't want to be like Abby, EVER! No matter how bad things get, promise me you won't let me become like that!"

"I promise," he said. "But I don't think I'll ever have to worry about that. "You could _never_ be like Abby."

"The scary thing is, I think I could," she said.

"No way!" Jackson protested.

"Yeah, well I _never_ dreamed _Abby_ could be like that and look at her now." she said. "I'm afraid the longer we're here, the more we'll all end up like Abby."

With that disturbing thought bouncing around their brains, they both fell silent and stared out at the ocean. Jackson snuck a glance at Melissa. Her cheeks were still wet but she had a big smile on her face.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked. _God, I love her smile!_

"You," she said.

"Me? Why?" he asked.

"I think in this one evening, you've said more than all the conversations total since I fist met you at Hartwell," she said turning to look at him.

Jackson smiled back at Melissa then looked around. _Wow! _he thought. _It really _is_ beautiful here. And I'm sitting next to this caring, sensitive, lovely girl, on a moonlit beach, a gentle breeze ruffling our hair. We're all alone. This is straight out of one of those chick flicks. _Before he could stop himself, Jackson leaned in and kissed a surprised Melissa gently and sweetly on the lips. Melissa quickly recovered and kissed him back. He could taste the salt on her lips from her tears. Their lips parted and Jackson looked almost as surprised as she did.

"Wow!" she murmured. "What was that for?" _Oh God, is he regretting kissing me? Was it a pity kiss? Stop, Melissa! Just breathe._

"I, uh, I just really wanted to kiss you right now." _And earlier. And again tomorrow. _"I guess the setting, our conversation, the way you look. It just felt, I don't know, right," he said shrugging. He looked her in the eye and thought, _Careful, Jackson! Don't mess this up now! Don't say something stupid to upset her. _

Melissa blushed and looked away. _Calm down, Mel! Don't blow it. He just got carried away by the romance of the setting. _She smiled to herself at this thought. _It doesn't mean he's picked me. He would've kissed Taylor if she were here instead. _Her smile disappeared.

"Hey, Mel, you okay?" he asked. "What're you thinking?"

She turned to face him. "Um, well…" _Just say it and get it over with! _she told herself. Melissa took a deep breath and said "Um, you don't have to worry, Jackson. I know this kiss didn't mean anything special. It's just like you said, the setting, everything we talked about, it just felt right. No big deal. I'm not going to go all drama queen on you."

"Oh, great, okay," he said as he tried to hide the look of mild confusion on his face. _Damn! _he thought. _You did blow it! No, you didn't. Remember? You told her you didn't know how you felt about Taylor. She's just protecting herself. Taylor. _He hadn't thought about her in a few days. Her face popped into his head. Her adoring expression as she watched him play the guitar. Her blonde hair blowing in the breeze. Her smile when she'd started the fire with the bow drill. She was certainly full of surprises. He smiled remembering all that was Taylor. Melissa's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Jackson? What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing. Look, it's getting late and you know Abby, she'll want to start as early as possible. We should turn in."

"Yeah, you're right," Melissa said. "Jackson?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for a great day. And thanks for being such a good friend."

"Yeah, you too," he replied. With that he stood up. Melissa extended her arm and he pulled her to her feet. They walked back to the tent together, holding hands. They crawled into their sleeping bags. Eric was already snoring. "Good night, Mel," Jackson whispered.

"'Night, Jackson," she whispered back. Melissa listened as Jackson's breathing slowly became steady and she knew he'd fallen asleep. She smiled as she matched her breathing to his and the last thing she thought about before drifting off was the feel of Jackson's lips on hers.

All too soon she heard the _beep beep beep _of Jackson's watch. Time for another day of trekking across the island. _Maybe we'll find something or someone today_. Melissa slowly opened her eyes and let them adjust to the dim light. Everything that had happened last night came back in a rush. Melissa smiled at the thought. Then she started thinking. Her smile disappeared. _Oh God, what if he totally feels weirded out this morning? What if he's sorry he ever did it? What if it _was_ a pity kiss? What if he's embarrassed about what he said to me? Oh crap! _

"Mel. Hey, Mel! Where are you?" Jackson asked. He was leaning over her again, gently shaking her. She raised her eyes and looked into his. He smiled. She smiled back as she stretched and sat up. "Well good morning sleepy head," he whispered. "Where were you?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if we'd find something or someone today," she whispered back. Melissa looked across the tent. Abby was just starting to stir in her sleeping bag. _Yesterday must have really wiped her out _Melissa thought. _Good, maybe she won't set such a killer pace today._

"Okay, everybody, UP!" Jackson yelled. Eric groaned but then quickly sat up, grabbed his boots and hat and shot out of the tent, nervously looking over his shoulder, remembering the threat of Jackson's kick yesterday. Melissa and Jackson exchanged smiles. Abby slowly sat up and rubbed a hand across her eyes. She didn't say a word as she grabbed her boots and left the tent. Jackson and Melissa followed suit. It was a quiet morning as everyone went about their morning rituals. They ate breakfast and packed their gear in no time flat. Abby started walking in the lead as usual. The others noticed she wasn't going as fast as yesterday. Eric wiggled his eyebrows at Melissa and Jackson as he set his hat firmly on his head and followed her. Melissa and Jackson fell in behind.

It was a pretty uneventful day. They walked for a few hours then took a short rest break. _Abby called for the break so she must still be feeling the effects of her foolishness yesterday _Eric mused to himself. They walked until noon and Abby called lunch. There were plenty of bananas and dried fish from the day before. Eric had divided the food up evenly among them then went to 'take care of business' before he sat down to eat. He came back from washing his hands and sat down ready to enjoy his fish.

"Hey!" he yelped. "What gives? Who took half my fish?" He looked around at the others. Jackson and Melissa stopped eating and looked at him completely surprised. He looked at Abby who was sitting next to him. She was stuffing her face with fish. "Hey, Abby! What's the deal?! That was my food! You have your own!"

Everyone stopped and stared at her. She finished chewing and swallowing before turning her cold gaze on Eric and said, "You left and I'm hungry. That's the deal. Get over it." With that she stood up, stuffed the last of the fish in her mouth, grabbed an extra banana and stalked away. She settled herself several yards away, pulled out her knife and started sharpening it again.

"Oh, that was _so_ not cool!" sputtered Eric looking from Jackson to Melissa. He was dumbfounded. His mouth kept working but nothing was coming out. _What the?!?!? _he thought. _Doesn't she remember who was on her side back at the plane? How could she do this to me?!? ME!?! Especially after all the work I did yesterday. For her. And I sat with her for over two hours making sure she was okay. What the?!?_

Melissa couldn't believe Abby had just done that. She looked at Jackson and could see he was as astonished as she was. She stood up and walked over to Eric. "Here, have some of mine, I can't eat it all," she said pushing some of her fish onto his plate.

"No Melissa, you don't have to…" Eric started protesting.

Melissa cut him off. "No, really, Eric. I had too many bananas this morning and I don't want it to go to waste."

"Well if you're sure," he said. "Thanks, Melissa." Eric hungrily gobbled the rest of his fish then started in on several bananas.

Melissa finished her little bit of fish, ate two bananas then left to freshen up before they started their afternoon trek. She was back down at the ocean when Jackson came up behind her.

"Hey, Mel," he said. "That was a really nice thing you did for Eric but you can't do that if she pulls the same stunt again. Eric will have to learn to stand up to Abby himself."

Melissa stood up and faced Jackson. "I know." He handed her a mango. "Thanks," she said. "How'd you know I was still hungry?"

"A lucky guess," he said.

Melissa nodded her thanks then greedily devoured the mango. She didn't want Eric to see her and feel bad but Jackson was right. Eric had to learn to stand up to his 'idol' himself. And she couldn't give up her food every time something like this happened. She'd get too weak and then what?

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	2. Chapter 2

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Flight 29 Down nor any of its characters (If I did there'd be no chance in Hades of Taylor EVER getting Jackson!) but the plot is my own. I used some of the background information from the F29D books and expanded on it.**

**Author's Note: Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback , lovely comments and PM's (johnnysbrasiliansexmistress2 and carterfinley). The reason I said the last chapter was boring is because it was pretty mundane until I combined chapters one and two-that's why it was so long (I also forgot to change the Author's note so I apologize). **

**Attention melreincarn: from this point on some of you may think I'm going out of character. I would apologize but, this is _my _little ff reflecting what _I _think should happen, so I won't.**

**I confess to using poetic license with some facts for the sake of the story. **

**Remember to 'suspend disbelief' to fully enjoy any fiction.**

**It's rated T for some violence and upcoming 'intimate' scenes. I may change the rating to M soon. The last little bit of this chapter is approaching M for you younger readers. Read with caution! I will not be held responsible for damaging or corrupting young minds.**

**I welcome all comments and constructive criticism. Hope you enjoy!**

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**Eric had to learn to stand up to his 'idol' himself. Melissa couldn't give up her food every time something like this happened. She'd get too weak and then what?**

**-------------------------------------**

**Chapter Two**

They were soon on their way again, Abby walking ahead of the group. The sun was beating down on them and they were sweating profusely. The ocean breeze wasn't helping. Melissa felt disgusting. She wanted a shower but a dip in the ocean would do. Anything. They had been sleeping in their clothes for several days now and they all reeked. She decided as soon as they stopped for the night she was hanging her sleeping bag out to air, taking a bath (if there was a nearby stream) and washing her clothes. If nothing else, she was going to go splash around in the ocean. The thought of cool water and clean clothes kept her going all afternoon. Melissa slowly became aware of her surroundings again as she stopped daydreaming about her upcoming bath. She noticed that the terrain was getting rougher. There were now larger rocks sticking up out of the ocean here and there.

Abby called a halt for the day. It was pretty early to stop but no one was going to say a word. They started their camp routine of setting up the tent, collecting firewood, starting a fire, looking for a water source and more fruit. When that was done and there was water boiling over the fire, Melissa took her sleeping bag out and spread it across a low-hanging branch where it could catch a breeze and air out.

"What are you doing?" Eric asked, looking puzzled.

"I'm airing out my sleeping bag because in case you haven't noticed, we all stink!" she replied. "Then I'm going to go wash my clothes and myself."

"Good idea," he said. "You wanna grab mine while you're at it?"

"Nice try, Eric," she laughed. "Do your own laundry."

Jackson listened to this exchange and said, "That's a really good idea, Mel. We should all air out our sleeping bags, wash clothes and clean ourselves up. Otherwise it's going to be really hard to breathe in the tent tonight."

Abby looked at him and rolled her eyes but she joined the others in hanging her sleeping bag over a branch to air out. The girls went into the tent and changed into their bathing suits and emerged carrying towels and their dirty clothes. The boys then went in and did the same. They all walked into the jungle to the stream Eric had found for their water. They decided to split up to find the best spot to take baths. They walked a few minutes in opposite directions looking for a place that was deep and wide enough. The girls heard the boys yelling. They walked back to them. _Wow! Perfect! _Melissa couldn't believe their luck. The boys had found a place where the stream widened out into a natural looking pool. Jackson had already waded in to see how deep it was.

"Hey guys, this is great!" he said. "It only goes up to my chest so it's not too deep." Jackson dove under the surface and came up shaking water out of his hair. "Aaahhh, I didn't realize how _good_ this would feel. He went under again and came up with a handful of sand from the bottom and started scrubbing himself with it.

"Woo-hoo!" Eric yelled as he ran into the water and submerged himself. He paddled a little upstream from Jackson and started playing around like a little kid.

This made Melissa smile as she set out to find a good place to wash her clothes. She found a shallow place downstream and knelt down to start. She dunked her dirty clothes until they were drenched then scrubbed them gently with some of the sand from the bottom. When she figured they wouldn't get any cleaner, she wrung them out then headed back to the beach to hang them in the fading sun to dry. She noticed Abby had separated herself from the group as usual and was doing her own thing farther downstream. As Melissa was coming back to take her bath she made a wonderful discovery. Aloe vera plants all over the place. _Oh good! _she thought. _Now we can take care of sunburn and my hands don't have to be so rough. _Suddenly Melissa caught a waft of some heavenly scent. _What is that?!? _She looked around and saw a flowering plant not too far away. She walked over and sure enough, that's where it was coming from. She had a lovely idea. Melissa picked a huge stalk of the aloe and some of the flowers then went back to the others.

Eric was still floating happily on his back but Jackson was out of the water now and washing his clothes. "Eric, you better hurry up and wash your clothes or they'll never dry," Melissa called.

"Oh, okay!" he groaned as he flipped over and paddled over to his clothes. Jackson was already wringing his out. He gave Melissa a little smile as he walked back toward the beach to hang his own clothes up.

Melissa waded into the cool water. _Aaahhh…This feels even better than I dreamed! _Melissa then copied what Jackson had done, diving under and coming up with a handful of sand. She started scrubbing her scalp and face then worked her way down from there getting more sand as needed. She swam and dived until she got all the sand out of her hair. Melissa paddled back to where she'd left the aloe and squeezed until she had a palm full of the oily, sticky substance. _Don't know if this will work but it can't hurt, _she told herself. She combed the gel through her hair until it was coated. She waited a few minutes then rinsed it out. When she stepped out of the water she carefully towel dried her hair first. _I think this feels softer already._ Melissa then dried her body and rubbed aloe all over her skin to help soften it. After that, she draped her towel over her shoulder and walked back to where she'd gotten the aloe.

By the time Melissa returned to camp everyone else already had fresh clothes on and Jackson and Eric were getting ready to head back to the jungle to fish and get water. "Where's Abby?" she asked.

"She's out looking for fruit," Eric said.

"I guess I'll get dressed and do the same," Melissa said.

"Hey, what do you have there?" Jackson asked indicating the bundle in her towel. He noticed a faint, sweet smell. _Mmmm. Something smells really good, _he thought.

"Aloe vera," she responded. "It's good for sunburn and moisturizer and all kinds of things!" she explained as she held up one of the stalks.

Jackson walked over and gave the fat stalk a little squeeze. A quarter-size dollop of the gel dropped onto his palm. "Hey, cool!" he exclaimed.

Melissa looked at him quizzically.

"Hair gel!" he said as he started rubbing it through his dry hair and spiking it up on top. He had a huge grin on his face. "Thanks, Mel! This is awesome! How does it look?"

Melissa burst out laughing. He looked like such a happy, goofy little kid over hair gel. _Jackson? Who knew he was so into his hair! _Melissa thought with a chuckle. "It looks like it did back at school," she said grinning.

"Awesome!" he said. Then seeing her grinning at him he tried to recover his cool. "Um, I'm gonna go catch some fish," he said looking a little sheepish and quickly walking in the direction of the stream.

Melissa burst out laughing as she went into the tent to get dressed. She emerged a few minutes later and went into the trees looking for fruit. She went in the opposite direction from where she'd found the aloe as she hadn't seen any fruit around there. She'd only been walking about ten minutes when she spotted Abby by a banana tree stuffing her face. Melissa ducked behind another tree and watched, curious to see what she'd do. As she watched, Abby finally had her fill. She looked around furtively and stuffed several almost ripe bananas into her pockets, then picked a very small ripe bunch and started back toward camp. _Why did she take so few? _Melissa thought. _There are plenty of green ones there and we could really use them. It doesn't make sense. _When Abby was out of sight Melissa approached the tree to collect as many as she could for their journey. She noticed the ground was littered with banana peels. _What gives? _Melissa struggled to pick a huge green bunch then lugged it back to camp still mulling over what Abby had done. When she arrived Eric was boiling water and Jackson was sitting there looking dejected. Melissa noticed the small bunch of bananas Abby had collected sitting near Eric. "No luck fishing?" she asked.

"Nope, nothing," Jackson said disgustedly. He suddenly noticed that faint sweet smell again.

"Where's Abby?" she asked, setting down her haul.

"Down by the ocean," Eric said. "She said something about being the only provider or something, I don't know, I wasn't really listening."

Melissa had a puzzled look on her face. "I think I'm gonna go check this out," she said.

"I'll come too," Jackson said.

They walked toward the sound of the rhythmic surf. _There's that scent again, _he thought. Jackson surveyed the beach and noticed there were a lot more rocks rising up out of the ocean here. They saw Abby lying among some of the larger rocks. She was partially covered in what looked like seaweed. Jackson also noticed, for the first time, several large sea birds pecking around the beach and among the rocks. One of them was very near Abby.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Melissa. "Abby's hurt! We've got to help her!"

Jackson grabbed Melissa by the arm before she could take off running toward Abby. "Shhhh! No, she's fine. Look! I think she's trying to catch one of those birds." Melissa studied the scene more closely. It looked like Jackson was right. Abby was laying perfectly still except for her arm that was covered with seaweed. It appeared to be moving slightly and drawing one of the bird's attention.

Abby was so focused on the bird moving closer to her hand that she was oblivious to everything else. The bird was inching nearer and nearer the gently wriggling seaweed then… "YES!!" Abby screamed as she suddenly sat up and the bird was dangling in midair by one leg. It started squawking and flapping wildly. The other birds all took off and headed inland.

Eric came running, "What's the commotion about?" he asked. He ran up to Jackson and Melissa and followed where Jackson was pointing toward the rocks. He yelled, "YEAH, Way to go Abby! You da man!!" while pumping his fist in the air.

As they watched, the bird continued thrashing wildly, trying to peck Abby. Without flinching she just reached out, grabbed it around the neck and

**SNAP!!**

wrung its neck. The noise stopped immediately but the flapping continued for a minute or so.

Melissa, Jackson and even Eric winced at that. Melissa turned away feeling a little sick to her stomach. _Abby the _vegan_ had just ruthlessly snapped a bird's neck like she was twisting the top off a water bottle._

Abby walked toward them carrying the bird by its neck. She stopped in front of them and dropped it at their feet. "I killed it, you clean it," she said. She then whipped her knife out of its sheath and offered it to Melissa.

"I don't know how to clean a bird," she said, eyeing the shiny knife warily.

"Does anyone?" asked Eric.

Jackson shrugged as if to say 'don't look at me'.

Abby looked disgusted with all of them. "Fine, I'll do it myself." With that she picked up the bird and slit it from neck to anus. She laid her knife down and used both hands to tear the opening wider. She then plunged one in and pulled out the entrails. Melissa felt a little queasy. Eric looked green around the gills. The only sounds were the squishy ripping noises as Abby gutted the bird. Abby picked up her knife and wiped it clean on her shirt. She lovingly put it back in its sheath then started digging among the innards she had just ripped out. She picked up a dark brownish red jiggly thing that had to be the liver and took a hearty bite out of it, blood dribbling down her chin. Jackson and Melissa's mouths dropped open. Eric was wide-eyed with a mixture of shock, disgust and a hint of admiration showing on his face. "Whoa!" he said quietly.

Abby looked at them still munching on the liver and said, "What are you looking at?" She picked up the bird and threw it at Melissa's feet. "You _will_ pluck it if you expect to eat any."

"Um, Okay," Melissa said quietly.

Eric gulped and thought, _I'm so glad Daley didn't let her kill Lex's chicken. _"I'll um, get more water," he said weakly.

"Yeah, and I'll get some more firewood," Jackson said quietly.

Melissa stooped and picked the bird up by its wing with two fingers.

"Oh get over it!" Abby said exasperatedly. She stalked off down the beach still chewing on the liver, licking the blood off her fingers.

Melissa carried the bird back to the campfire, sat down on a log and started plucking its feathers. It was really hard. Her fingers became sore after only about ten feathers. Melissa noticed there were a lot of smaller feathers underneath and what looked almost like hair. _I bet Lex knows what these are called._ _Lex. Nathan. Daley. Taylor. _Sadness was about to envelop Melissa as she started thinking about her friends left back at the plane. _No, stop it! This isn't the time to fall apart. _Melissa focused her attention back to the task at hand. _There has to be a better way to do this. _

Melissa only had a small section plucked when Jackson came back with an armful of wood. "How's it going?" he asked looking around as he stoked the fire.

"This is harder than it looks," she replied. "There are lots of smaller feathers and little hairs under the big feathers. There has to be another way to do this."

Eric walked up with a jug full of water. He took his hat off and wiped his arm across his forehead. "Whew!" He walked over to Melissa to check her progress. He wrinkled his nose then his face lit up. "Hey! I remember seeing this TV show, they said if you dunked a chicken in boiling water for a few minutes, it's easier to pull the feathers out."

Melissa looked up at Eric, "Really?"

"Yeah, I swear!" he said earnestly. "I saw it on one of those survivor-y type shows on one of those you know, nature-y, educational channel thing-ys."

"Wow!" Melissa exclaimed. "You watch something other than cartoons?!?"

Jackson snorted trying not to laugh too hard.

"Ha! Ha! Real funny! Look, I'm serious," he said.

"Well, it can't hurt to try because this sure isn't working," Melissa said.

Jackson soon had the fire nice and hot and they put the water on to boil. When it was finally bubbling, Melissa held the bird by one leg and submerged it in the roiling water. She held it there for several minutes and asked Eric, "So how long do I leave it in here?"

"I dunno. It said a few minutes on the show. Why not try pulling on a few feathers and see what happens?" he replied.

"Good idea," she said. Melissa pulled the bird out of the water and gave it a few shakes. She tentatively touched one of the feathers. It wasn't too hot. She gave it a tug. It came out in her hand easily. "This is _much_ easier" she said. She tried pulling a few of the under feathers. They too, came right out. "This is _sooo _much better, thanks, Eric."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," he said.

Melissa continued plucking the bird. Eric emptied the pot and put fresh water on to boil.

Jackson said, "I think you should boil water for our canteens then we can use the rest to clean the bird. I'm going to make a spit to roast that baby on."

"Mmmmm, I can just about taste it. Almost as good as KFC," Eric said smacking his lips noisily. "All we need are mashed potatoes dripping with gravy, and a biscuit, a sweet, little, buttered biscuit. Aaaaahhhh."

Melissa chuckled at Eric. She finished the bird and set it on a log until the water was ready. She walked over to Jackson who was whittling the ends of a stick for the spit. She noticed he already had two sturdy forked sticks by his feet.

"So, what did you think of Abby's primal display?" she asked Jackson.

"Wow!" he said, slightly shaking his head. "I don't know if she was trying to intimidate us, if that was some kind of show of power, or if she is just plain losing it. What about you, Mel? What do you think?"

"I'm not sure. She seems a lot worse than she was back at the plane. I get what you mean about the intimidation or power thing. I hate to say it but, I'm afraid she's losing it." _Or lost it. "_I think we need to be very careful and keep a sharp eye on her," Melissa replied.

"Yeah, I agree," he said. They pondered this in silence for several minutes.

"Water's done!" Eric called. " I filled the canteens, the bird is clean and I have more water on to boil. How's that spit coming, chief?"

"Good to go," Jackson said. He walked over and threaded the bird on the spit. He handed it to Eric while he and Melissa stuck the forked sticks into the ground on either side of the fire. Eric placed the spit on the forked sticks.

"Perfect" Eric said.

"Great. I'll go get more firewood," Jackson said.

"And I'll go look for some fruit and get more water," Melissa said as she picked up an empty water jug.

"Oh, fine, fine. I'll just stay here by my lonesome and make like Wolfgang Puck," Eric said.

"Don't let that bird burn!" Melissa warned. "I _hate_ the taste of burnt food!" She and Jackson headed off into the trees.

After a while Abby stalked back toward the fire. "Isn't that bird done, yet?" she demanded. "What have you guys been doing, playing footsies?!"

"For your information, we've built a fire, boiled water, filled our canteens, made a spit, have more water boiling and this bird is cooking," Eric replied somewhat indignantly. (Eric didn't like to be accused of being lazy when he had been working so hard. He liked getting credit for everything he did).

"So where are Jackson and Melissa?" Abby asked. "Making out in the jungle?"

"Jackson went to get more firewood and Melissa is looking for fruit and getting more water." Eric said.

"It's about time they made themselves useful," she spat.

Eric noticed that Abby still had some blood flecks around her mouth. He gave a small involuntary shudder.

"You got a problem?" she asked glaring at him.

"Oh, no, no problem here" he said. He pretended to focus all his attention on turning the spit and checking the bird. _Whoa!! _he thought. _She's being a bit harsh. I think I'll just keep my head down and my mouth shut, for now._

Abby stalked off toward the ocean.

Jackson came striding out of the jungle. He had heard Abby's remark but chose to ignore it. He set the firewood down next to Eric. "Where's she going?" he asked.

"I don't know. Maybe down to the ocean to wash the blood off her face. How do you know when a bird is cooked?" Eric asked.

"You're asking the wrong person," Jackson said. "I'm not much of a cook."

"Then it's a good thing I decided to come with you or you'd all end up with food poisoning," Melissa said as she stepped out of the jungle trying to balance several papayas and a full water jug.

"Let me help you with that," Jackson said as he ran forward and relieved her of the heavy jug. _What is that sweet smell?_

"Thanks," she said giving him one of her big smiles. Melissa walked up to the bird and poked it in a few places. "Nope, not done yet," she said. "I'd give it about another twenty to thirty minutes."

"Oh man, that long?" Eric whined. "I want a juicy drumstick NOW."

"Where's Abby?" Melissa asked.

"Down by the ocean," Jackson said.

"I think I'll go and try to talk to her," Melissa said.

"Yeah, good luck with _that_!" Eric snorted.

She smiled and walked toward the crashing noise coming from the shore. Melissa crested a dune and stopped. There was a slight breeze blowing her long silky hair back behind her shoulders. The sun was sinking lower and lower into the vast blue ocean. As she gazed out across the water she raised her hands above her head and took several deep breaths. The sky was a mixture of reds, pinks and oranges. She could taste the salt on her lips. Melissa heaved a big sigh. _God, this is so beautiful _she thought. _If only this weren't a deserted island. If only we didn't have to worry about surviving. If only…_

Melissa's reverie was interrupted by a cold voice, "It may be pretty to look at, but I hope you see it for what it really is," Abby said.

"And what's that?" Melissa asked.

"Something that will kill you the second you let your guard down," Abby replied. She started walking back toward the fire.

"Um, Abby, can I talk to you?" Melissa asked as she sat down on the sand.

Abby walked back toward Melissa and sat down several feet away. She sighed loudly. "What?" Abby was staring at Melissa with a belligerent look on her face.

"Well, um, I, uh… " Melissa stammered. _She's not going to make this easy _Melissa thought. _That look is making it hard to focus on what I want to say… _"Abby, what's wrong? Have we, have _I_ done something wrong?"

Abby looked at Melissa a minute then she looked out at the water before she replied. "No. Not exactly … _wrong_," she said. "I just don't think you, _any_ of you, realize just how _serious_ this really is. This isn't some school camping adventure! It's survival! We could all die! You just have no clue." With that she rose and stalked off.

"Abby! Wait, I…" Melissa started.

Abby turned. "What? You want some advice on your love life? You want to know why I'm being so mean to you? I don't have time for your fragile feelings and emotions," she spat as she stomped away.

_Well, _that_ went well, _she thought. _I'll stop for now but I'm not ready to give up on you, Abby. Yet. _

Melissa slowly stood up, brushed the sand off her shorts and legs and walked back to the campsite.

Jackson and Eric both looked at her as she approached the fire. She gave a little shrug and shook her head. Eric gave her his _'I told you so' _face and said, "Good, right on time. I think this goose is cooked. Madame, would you care to confirm?"

Melissa poked the bird and said, "Yup, that's ready. We need to let it…"

"Woo-Hoo! Chow time! I call drumstick!" Eric shouted happily. He took the stick containing the bird off the fire and placed it on some clean palm leaves Jackson had put near him. Abby walked right over to it, knelt down, wrapped her bandana around her hand and grabbed the breast of the bird and tore most of it away from the bone then nonchalantly walked away chewing.

They all just stared. _I can't believe it, she did it _again Jackson thought. _What the heck is going on with her?!? I'm going to have to watch her even more closely than I thought. God knows what she'll do next. _The next thought that entered Jackson's mind made his eyes open a little wider. _Could she be dangerous? _He shook his head slightly. _Nah, she's just trying to scare us. _

"Well at least she left the drumsticks," Eric said rather flatly. "Who wants the other one?"

"Doesn't matter to me. I'll take whatever," Melissa said. She too, was having some very disturbing thoughts about Abby. _How far is she willing to carry this 'survival of the fittest' thing?_ she wondered. _Should the rest of us be worried? Or scared?_

Jackson, Melissa and Eric all sat around the palm leaves and shared what Abby had left of the bird. They ate in silence contemplating Abby's behavior and what it might mean.

When they had finished Eric said, "Well, it didn't exactly taste like chicken, but it wasn't bad." Jackson and Melissa murmured their agreement.

When they'd finished eating the meat and some papayas they got to their feet and started preparing for the next day before turning in. Boiling water and filling canteens and water bottles, collecting more firewood, packing fruit, breaking down as much of camp as possible. This was such a routine now that they were like a well-oiled machine. Everyone just did their job and no words were needed.

Even Eric didn't complain anymore. At least, he didn't complain out loud. _As usual. Abby takes the food she wants, walks off and doesn't do any of the work. Yeah, that's fair, NOT!!!! She just goes and plays with her knife. But man, I'm not gonna say anything to her, she's getting way too scary! _

Soon everything was done. It was still early so Melissa, Jackson and Eric sat around the fire quietly talking. Abby was sitting separate, as usual, cleaning her knife and stabbing the occasional lizard who darted too close. "So how far do you think we've come?" Melissa asked.

"I don't know. I'd say we've been making at least twelve to fifteen miles a day," Jackson responded. "We've been going pretty hard."

"Except for that one day," Eric said cocking his head toward Abby.

"How long before you think we'll reach the north shore?" asked Melissa.

"No idea. I didn't think the island was this big. Once we have to start trekking through the jungle our pace is going to slow down - a lot. And I don't like the look of that mountain," Jackson said.

Abby suddenly stood up, put her knife lovingly back in its sheath on her belt then walked into the tent. Eric, Melissa and Jackson exchanged looks. They continued talking about their upcoming journey. It was clear that they couldn't walk along the shore too much longer. They were going to have to face the jungle soon. The mood became somewhat melancholy and the conversation faded out. "Well, I guess it's time to get some sleep," Melissa said stifling a yawn. " 'Night boys."

"I'm ready too." "Me, too." Jackson and Eric followed Melissa into the tent. Soon, they were all drifting off. But not before Jackson noticed that lovely faint scent again.

The next several days blended together as they fell into a pattern. Get up. Eat. Pack the gear. Hike. Rest. Eat. Hike. Rest. Hike. Set up the tent. Collect firewood. Make a fire. Find food and water. Eat. Go to sleep. Get up and do the same thing all over again. Every few days they would air out their sleeping bags and wash their clothes if they had a good water source. Eric, Jackson and Melissa all kept a sharp eye on Abby. Melissa caught her sneaking food for herself on several more occasions. She hadn't told the others about it yet. She figured as long as she found enough for the rest of them it wasn't really hurting anything. Eric closely guarded his food so Abby couldn't help herself. She did manage to take some of Jackson and Melissa's food a few times. When confronted she just said, "I'm hungry. I took it. Deal with it." She still didn't do much work, occasionally she would bring back a little fruit. Mostly, she sat around playing with her knife. She would kill any little lizard or frog or bug that got close enough. Then she'd smile to herself as she cleaned the blood and guts off and sharpened it.

Melissa cherished the sunsets and ocean breezes as she knew they would soon leave the beach behind. Sometimes Jackson joined her but he didn't try to kiss her again. _Well, I guess I blew it. He's not even interested in kissing me anymore, _she thought. _Maybe I should make a move. Yeah, right! That's gonna happen! Like I need to be rejected again._

All too soon it was time to leave the beach and enter the jungle full time. The going was much harder as they were also approaching the mountain. They had to climb up and over a lot of rocks and go around dense thickets. Some days they felt like they didn't cover any ground at all. They talked less and less. Luckily there was a stream within earshot most of the time so they had plenty of water.

One night they were sitting around the campfire. Abby, as usual, was playing with her knife several yards away.

"What do you think the others are doing right now?" Melissa mused.

"I'll bet they're sitting around the fire pit talking," Eric said. "And listening to music."

Jackson looked over at Melissa. Her eyes were big and shiny. He knew she was missing Nathan and the others. "They're probably thinking about us, too," he said soothingly. "I'll bet Lex is fussing over his chicken, Daley is boiling and filtering water, Nathan is stacking firewood and Taylor is probably, I don't know, complaining about split ends or something." Melissa smiled at him.

"They're all wasting their time," Abby finally spoke up.

"What do you mean?"

"Sitting around thinking about us is nothing but a waste of time. They should be worried about surviving. They should kill that chicken and eat it," she said.

"Yeah, well, on that note, I'm off to bed," Eric said rolling his eyes. _The few times she speaks and it's always the same broken record, _he thought. _Blah blah blah. Only the strong survive, the weak get eaten. __Blah blah blah. Man, I'm so sick of her spouting that crap and playing with her big knife. _Eric crawled into his sleeping bag and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He was snoring in two minutes.

Abby soon joined him. Melissa wasn't ready for sleep yet. Physically she was exhausted but her mind was too busy to let her settle down. She couldn't stop thinking about Abby's comments and behavior or Nathan, Daley, Lex and even Taylor. She just stared into the fire her mind spinning faster and faster. A huge wave of melancholy came out of nowhere and threatened to drown her. Jackson had been watching her. He could see the turmoil on her face and in her eyes. _I hate to see her so unhappy, _he thought. _I hope I'm not the cause._

Melissa suddenly stood up and stumbled away from the fire. She ran a few yards into the surrounding darkness and stopped only when she figured she was far enough away for privacy. She leaned against a tree trunk and let out a huge sob. Soon, she couldn't stop herself. Tears were streaming down her face faster than she could wipe them away. Her chest was heaving. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Mel. I'm here." She turned around and fell into Jackson's arms. She stood there crying her heart out on his chest while he rubbed her back with one hand and stroked her hair with the other. _There's that smell, _again. "Shhh. It's okay. Everything will be alright," he soothed. Melissa soon cried herself out. Jackson continued to hold her even after her sobs stopped.

"I'm...I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to lose it."

"It's okay," he said. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Melissa reluctantly stepped back from his embrace and turned away to wipe her eyes and nose on her sleeve. "I'm really sorry, I just, I…"

Jackson stepped forward, turned her around and folded her into his arms once more. "It's okay, I'm here for you," he said stroking her hair.

Melissa felt so safe in his embrace. She felt at that moment that she could tell him anything. She reached up and played with his cross necklace as she said, "Remember at the beach when I told you it was just build up? Well that's it, again. I mean, I miss the others, I'm worried about Ian, Jory and Captain Russell, will we get rescued? And I'm beginning to get really freaked out by Abby."

Jackson smiled into the top of her head. "Yeah, she's starting to freak me out a little, too," he said. "All that playing with her knife. Stealing food. And the way she just will kill any animal that gets close enough. It's almost, I don't know, _barbaric_. I understand the survival thing but it's not like we're starving even if I am so sick of fish and fruit I could puke." _Holding Mel really feels good _he thought. _I feel safe and like I can tell her anything. And I want to tell her everything. But it's not fair to lead her on when I haven't made a decision about Taylor yet. _Jackson took a deep breath. _That scent again…_

Melissa looked up at Jackson and smiled. "Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now," she said quietly.

Jackson stared back into her eyes and felt himself being pulled in. Before he could stop himself, _I don't want to stop,_ he leaned down and started slowly kissing her. Melissa relaxed into the kiss and decided for once not to analyze it, just to enjoy it. Their kissing became a little more urgent as Jackson gently parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. He tightened his embrace. _She feels so good. _Melissa felt herself being crushed into Jackson's chest. But it didn't hurt, it felt really good. Jackson could feel Melissa's breasts pressing into his chest as his hands were moving over her back and down toward her hips. _This feels so right _he thought. Melissa's fingertips were lightly stroking his face, his neck, the base of his throat as she played with his necklace again. Then her hand moved down his chest to his nipple. Jackson let out an involuntary groan and suddenly pulled back and said, "Oh Mel, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay, Jackson" she whispered. "I wasn't exactly objecting."

--------------------------------


	3. Chapter 3

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Flight 29 Down nor any of its characters (If I did there'd be no chance in Hades of Taylor EVER getting Jackson!) but the plot is my own. I used some of the background information from the F29D books and expanded on it.**

**Author's Note: **

**Sorry this update has been so slow coming. I've been immersed in Harry Potter world for quite some time, re-reading the whole series before reading Deathly Hallows, seeing the new movie, grieving for the end of the series as well as Fred and several others, trying to figure out how I feel about the last book, and reading some excellent (and not so excellent) HP ff. Blah blah blah. On to the story...**

**---**

**From this point on some of you may think I'm going out of character. Remember, this is just _my _little version of one possibility.**

**I confess to using poetic license with some facts for the sake of the story. **

**Remember to 'suspend disbelief' to fully enjoy any fiction.**

**It's rated T for some violence and upcoming 'intimate' scenes. I may change the rating to M soon.**

**-----------------------------------------------**

**Melissa looked up at Jackson and smiled. "Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now," she said quietly. **

**Jackson stared back into her eyes and felt himself being pulled in. Before he could stop himself, _I don't want to stop,_ he leaned down and started slowly kissing her. Melissa relaxed into the kiss and decided for once not to analyze it, just to enjoy it. Their kissing became a little more urgent as Jackson gently parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. He tightened his embrace. Melissa felt herself being crushed into Jackson's chest. But it didn't hurt, it felt really good. Jackson could feel Melissa's breasts pressing into his chest as his hands were moving over her back and down toward her hips. _This feels so right _he thought. Melissa's fingertips were lightly stroking his face, his neck, the base of his throat as she played with his necklace again. Then her hand moved down his chest to his nipple. Jackson let out an involuntary groan and suddenly pulled back and said, "Oh Mel, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"**

"**It's okay, Jackson" she whispered. "I wasn't exactly objecting."**

**-----------------------------------------**

**Chapter Three**

"But, I don't want to lead you on," he panted, slightly out of breath. "I don't want to hurt you. I still haven't figured things out," he said.

"It's okay," she said. "Really. I'm going to bed now. Good Night, Jackson." She flashed him a smile then headed back to the tent. She fell asleep with that same smile on her face.

Jackson walked back to the fire and sat down. His mind was reeling. Taylor. Melissa. Taylor. _Melissa. Oh man, I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt Mel, but damn! That felt good. I almost couldn't stop myself. _Jackson was unconsciously fingering his cross necklace. That brought back the memory of Melissa's fingers lightly touching his throat as she had played with it. _I didn't want to stop myself. I wonder if I would feel the same way about Taylor if she were here instead of Melissa. _Jackson sat and pondered things until the fire burned down. He banked the ashes so they would have embers in the morning then crawled into the tent. He tried not to look at Melissa but he couldn't help himself. She was laying there asleep with a secret smile on her face. He felt the corners of his own mouth start to turn up then stop. He felt conflicted. _Arrgh!! I need to get some sleep,_ he told himself. He was so tired that before long he was drifting off. His last thought was _there's that smell again. It's driving me crazy!_

All too soon Jackson's watch alarm sounded and it was another day of the same old thing. Everyone got up, ate, broke down camp and were ready to be on their way. Melissa was feeling good about what had happened last night but she wasn't sure how Jackson felt. He had bolted out of the tent as soon as his alarm started beeping and he seemed to be avoiding her. _Great! _she thought. _I messed up again. Was I too eager? Did the crying turn him off? I always seem to be crying when he kisses me. Maybe he has some kind of hero complex, he_ _feels he_ has_ to save the 'damsel in distress'. __Maybe that's why he likes Taylor. She's not always blubbering on his shoulder. Oh crap! There goes my good mood!_

They were hiking in dense jungle once more. They tried to find ways around the ever increasing rocks they encountered but the vegetation was too thick. At least there was plenty of fruit for them along the way. Shortly after they'd eaten lunch the going became a lot tougher and they had to start helping each other scale the rocks as they were getting larger and larger. Abby, of course, was in the lead and didn't look back once. Eric, Melissa and Jackson were all helping each other. No one spoke a word. They were all too busy concentrating on their next hand- or foothold. Melissa's eyes locked on Jackson's at one point and he gave her a little smile. _Maybe all hope is not lost, _she thought.

After climbing for a few more hours they reached a large plateau. Abby was already there, resting. Eric, Melissa and Jackson dropped their packs and flopped down, breathing hard. Eric removed his hat and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Whew! That was enough exercise to last me for a few lifetimes!" he panted, fanning himself with his hat. "Remind me _never_ to go rock climbing for fun, chief!" he said to Jackson.

Jackson was busy surveying their surroundings. They still had quite a climb ahead of them and there was no guarantee they'd find a decent place to camp. Or access to water. He shared his concerns with the group. Abby just looked at him coldly then started getting ready to resume the climb. Eric let out a huge sigh. "So what you're saying is, we should conserve our water and food because we may not be able to get more before we reach the jungle floor again?"

"Basically," Jackson responded.

"Great!" Eric said sarcastically.

Melissa stood up and shouldered her pack. She approached the rock face and was studying it to find the best place to start climbing when Abby strode up, pushed her out of the way and started climbing.

"Hey!" Melissa protested as she stumbled and fell over the rocks strewn along the bottom of the wall. She inhaled sharply and winced as she felt a pain shoot up her leg.

"Mel!" Jackson and Eric were running over to help her. They had witnessed the whole thing and couldn't believe Abby had actually shoved Melissa. "Are you okay?" Jackson asked, with concern showing on his face and in his voice.

"Um, I think so, but I felt a pain shoot up my leg. Help me stand up," she replied. She was breathing a little faster than normal trying to block out the pain.

Jackson glanced around and saw Abby was still ascending the rock face. "Hey, Abby! Stop! Melissa's hurt!" he yelled. She didn't even look back.

Eric helped Melissa out of her backpack then he and Jackson each took an arm and gently pulled her to her feet. They helped her over to a big boulder and sat her down. "Eric, go tell Abby to come back, we're gonna have to stop," Jackson said.

"Yeah, right!" Eric said. Jackson fixed him with a steely look. "Okay, Okay, I'll do my best." Eric took off after Abby.

Jackson asked, "Where does it hurt?"

"My right ankle," she groaned. "I'm sorry, but, it's nothing, really. I'm fine."

"This isn't your fault, Mel, we saw Abby push you," he said. Jackson slowly raised her leg and put her foot in his lap. "This may hurt but I have to see how bad the damage is. Can you move it?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. Melissa carefully flexed her foot a bit. "It hurts but I can move it, so it's not broken. I can wiggle my toes, too."

"Good," he said. He slowly and carefully untied her hiking boot practically pulling the laces the whole way out to make the opening as large as possible. Melissa winced a few times but didn't make a sound. Jackson carefully pulled the boot off. He next slowly peeled her sock off. Melissa was biting her lower lip to keep from crying out. The ankle was rapidly swelling and it was already bruising. Jackson carefully felt the ankle. "Well, it definitely isn't broken but it's a bad sprain," he said. We're gonna have to try and get that swelling down."

Eric came jogging back with a very pissed off Abby following him. "Eewww! That doesn't look good." he remarked.

"Eric, get the first aid supplies out of Melissa's pack," Jackson said. Eric brought Melissa's pack over and soon had the chemical ice pack on Melissa's ankle. He also handed her a water bottle and some aspirin for the pain.

"Guys, I'm so sorry," she kept saying.

"You should be!" Abby said looking disgusted. "We don't have time to sit around waiting for you to get better. We need to keep moving! Just suck it up and let's go!"

"We're not going anywhere today," Jackson said angrily. He stood up to his full height and stared Abby down until she finally looked away and said, "Fine!"

"Melissa has to rest that ankle so we're staying here for the night. Eric, see if you can find a water source. Abby you collect firewood," Jackson directed.

"I'm on it, chief," Eric said. He took the empty water jugs and went off in the direction of the stream.

Abby rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly but she dropped her pack and stalked off to find some wood.

Jackson helped Melissa get into a more comfortable position then propped her leg up with her sleeping bag. He then set up the tent and made a fire ring with some of the very stones Melissa had fallen on. He collected some wood that was scattered around the area and started a fire. Eric soon came back with full water jugs and set about boiling it.

"How's the stream, Eric?" Jackson asked. "Is it big enough to try fishing?"

"Yeah, I think I saw a few while I was getting the water," he replied.

"Good, then I'll try my luck. When Abby gets back, tell her to go look for some fruit," he said.

"I don't know if I can tell Abby anything, I'll bet she won't listen to me," he said.

"Well if she won't do it, let her boil and filter the water," Jackson said.

"Look, I'm fine, let me try and look for fruit," Melissa said.

"No!" Jackson protested. "You need to stay off that ankle and keep it elevated." Melissa nodded her head. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said fixing her with his 'everything will be alright' look then turned and walked off toward the stream.

"Eric, you and I both know Abby won't listen to you and I doubt she'll help with the water. In case you haven't noticed, she's not into doing many chores," Melissa said quietly.

"Yeah, I _have_ noticed that," he said. "She's making _me _look good. I just wish Daley were here to see it."

"Look, help me over to the fire," Melissa said. "I can sit there and boil and filter water with my leg elevated."

"I don't know," he began. "Jackson will have my head if he comes back and sees you working."

"Oh, come on. It's not really working. It's just sitting and pouring. I'll just do it while you're getting fruit. You can probably be back before Jackson catches his first fish."

He looked at her skeptically, "I don't know…"

"Please, Eric? I hate just sitting here feeling useless. Maybe Abby won't ride me so hard if she sees me working," Melissa pleaded.

Eric looked around quickly to make sure Abby wasn't behind him. "Yeah, like _she_ has the right to ride anyone about not working." He studied Melissa for a minute. "Okay. But if Jackson comes back…"

"No problem, I'll tell him I moved myself after you left," she said.

Eric helped Melissa move to the fire ring and situated her injured ankle so she could boil and filter water in relative comfort.

"Thanks, Eric," she said. "Hurry back." _I don't want to be alone with Abby, _she thought.

"Oh, I will. I don't want Jackson to pound me!" _I wonder if she'll be safe with Abby, _he was thinking. _She _did_ push her causing this whole situation. _Eric picked up a towel to put fruit in and took off at a run.

Melissa settled into the mindless task of boiling and filtering water. Eric had made sure she had all of the empty water bottles within easy reach. She kept listening for signs of Abby's return as she finally processed what had happened. _I can't believe she _pushed_ me! I'm anxious to find Ian, Jory and the captain too, but we don't need to be in _that_ big a hurry. She of all people should realize how careful we need to be. One little scrape can get infected and become something serious in no time. _Melissa's thoughts were interrupted by Abby walking toward her. She actually had an armful of firewood for once. Melissa noticed her pockets had funny bulges in them and she seemed to have the residue of something around her mouth. _She's been eating her fill of fruit again and not bringing back any for the group. _

"Well, you can't be _that_ injured if you're doing some work. Jackson is just overprotecting his precious girlfriend," Abby said with a sneer.

Melissa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She was a little nervous being alone with Abby and she didn't know how far away Jackson and Eric were. "Look, Abby. Jackson is_ not_ my boyfriend." Abby rolled her eyes. Melissa screwed up her courage and asked the question that had been bugging her, "Abby, why did you push me?"

Abby stared at Melissa a minute before answering. The look in her eyes sent a chill up Melissa's spine. "Because you were in my way," she replied evenly while stuffing things into her pack.

Melissa sat waiting for more of an explanation but realized none was forthcoming. She was shocked. "You know, I would have moved if you'd just asked," she finally said.

"I was ready to go, you were in my way, end of story. I've told you before, only the strong survive…"

"And the weak don't," Melissa finished for her. "Yeah, I've heard it. So are you saying I'm weak and don't deserve to survive?"

"Take it however you want. I'm here to survive," Abby replied then walked back the way she had come.

Melissa stared after her wide eyed. _Does she really mean that? _she wondered. _Is this just the beginning? What will she do next if someone gets in her way?_

Melissa didn't have time to ponder that thought any longer as Eric came jogging back to camp with a towel full of fruit. He set it down, looked around quickly and panted, "Jackson back yet?"

"No. You're safe. Abby's been here and left."

"Oh, sorry I missed her," he said sarcastically. He looked carefully at Melissa. "Everything cool?"

"Yeah, fine. Help me back to the rock before Jackson comes back," she said.

"Good idea." Eric helped move Melissa back to the rock and prop her leg up again. "How's that ankle doing?"

Melissa moved the ice pack and looked at it. The swelling appeared to have gone down somewhat. "It still hurts but it's not too bad." She indicated the ice pack, "This is about done."

Eric leaned over and looked at her ankle. "Wow, spectacular colors you have going there. We don't need to see the sunset, we can just look at your ankle." Melissa gave him a weak smile. "I'll go get some cool water from the stream so you can wrap cold cloths around it." Eric checked the boiling water, stoked the fire with more wood then picked up an empty water jug and set off for the stream.

"Thanks, Eric!" she called. _He's like a totally different person _she thought. _I wish Nathan, Daley and Lex could see him now. They wouldn't believe it! Heck, _I_ don't believe it!_

At that moment Jackson came walking back into camp with a little spring in his step. Melissa saw he had several fish speared on a stick. "Looks like you were pretty successful," she said.

Jackson smiled and held up the fish. "Yeah, they practically threw themselves on my hook," he replied. "How's the patient? Where's Eric and Abby?"

"Well, 'Dr. Wu's' prognosis is, I'll live. Eric went to get some cold water from the stream because this," she waved the ice pack at him, "is almost done for. Abby brought some wood in then left again."

"Did she say anything?"

Melissa looked around carefully and said quietly, "I'll tell you later."

Jackson nodded then set to cleaning the fish. Eric walked back into camp with the water, got a bandana and walked over to help Melissa wrap her ankle with the cool cloth. Jackson finished cleaning the fish and rigged them to cook over the fire. The smell of cooking fish soon filled the air. Melissa insisted on cutting up the mangoes Eric had foraged. They were all sitting around anticipating dinner feeling very relaxed. Then Abby walked into camp. The atmosphere immediately changed. Jackson was looking at her with such anger in his eyes. Melissa had never seen him look so mad. Abby was oblivious. Melissa swung her bad leg to the ground and attempted to stand up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jackson asked as he sprang up.

"Um I have to go, you know," she said awkwardly not meeting his eyes.

"Oh, let me help you…"

"No!" she exclaimed. "I mean, thanks, but I can manage."

"Abby, you help her walk to where ever," Jackson said.

"Why should I?" Abby fixed him with a cold stare.

"Because it's your fault she's hurt. If you hadn't pushed her none of this would have happened!" he shouted at her. Abby was challenging him again and he'd had enough. _She wants to play tough? Fine. Obviously she forgot who she's dealing with. I'll bet she never faced a real gang in her neighborhood. _Jackson rose to his full height and towered over her. He stared at her with his steely blue eyes just daring her to 'bring it on'.

Abby stood up and faced Jackson. She stared at him but after a minute, she backed down. She had never seen that look in his eyes before. Cold. Hard. _Dangerous_. Rumors about him from school darted through her mind._ Gangs. Juvie. _"Fine," she muttered. She walked over and helped Melissa to her feet and draped her arm over her shoulder. They slowly made their way out of camp.

"Damn, chief," Eric said. "I thought you were gonna rip her head off."

"After what she did to Melissa, she's lucky I didn't," he replied in a low voice. Jackson shook his head quickly like he was clearing the cobwebs. He hadn't been in 'gang mode' since before they left on this trip. He didn't like going there but he felt he had to with Abby.

The fish were done and Eric removed them from the fire. He carefully divided all the food into four portions. Ever since Abby had stolen his fish, Eric had taken over most of the cooking so he could control the divvying up of food. He wanted to make sure Abby didn't get more than her share. He and Jackson waited a few minutes for the girls to return but when they didn't, Eric shrugged and dug into his portion. Jackson said, "I think I' m gonna go check on the girls. They've been gone too long."

"They're girls, that's what they do. Especially when they go in pairs," Eric said with a knowing look on his face.

"I'll just go take a look," he replied. Jackson went off in the direction Abby and Melissa had taken. He walked quite a distance and saw no sign of them. _That's weird, _he thought. Jackson then noticed footprints in the soft dirt. Two sets. Close together. One right print was fainter than the others. _Melissa. _He started following the tracks and calling Melissa and Abby's names. _They went awfully far from camp just to do their business. _Jackson continued walking and calling. He was getting worried. Finally he heard a faint 'over here'.

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**PLEASE review! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, Taylor would be voted off the island, some background from F29D books that I've expanded on, blah, blah, blah…**

**Author's Note**

**WARNING! Boringly longer than usual, but PLEASE read.**

**People, I appreciate all the support I've gotten so far, I really do, but a few more reviews would be really _lovely_. PMs are _always_ welcome as well. Also, I'm trying shorter chapters (okay, short for me), I split this one up, not sure if I like it this way, but let me know what you think.**

**Alert/Teaser: I'm thinking about writing a companion piece for this story about what's happening with the 'Club 29 Downers'. I love Nathan, Daley and Lex and Taylor _would_ be fun to write but they just don't inspire me like Jackson and Melissa (I mean, just _look_ at Jackson, how can you _not _be inspired?). I know this will please some of you (if I choose to do it). But don't look for it soon, I want to finish this first. And if the movie comes out before I finish, it would be AU and I don't know if I want to do that...Oops! Sorry. Maybe I got some of your hopes up for nothing...we'll see.**

**You may think some of the characters are OOC. I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low. Remember, this is just _my _little version of one possibility. Abby's behavior in 'One Breath Away' and 'See Ya' really inspired my version of her character in this fic.**

**Poetic license, suspend disbelief, all that rot, blah, blah, blah...**

**---------------------------------**

**The story thus far: Jackson, Melissa, Eric and Abby have been trekking for some time looking for the others, rescue, civilization, _anything_. They're in the jungle now, scaling the mountain.**

**Abby's become _super_ scary: the former peace-loving vegan ruthlessly snaps the neck of a bird, eats its raw liver, licks the blood off her fingers and stabs any creature within reach. She has developed an unhealthy relationship with her shiny knife and she'll push anyone out of her way to survive. (Yikes!)**

**Eric has stepped up (finally!) and is more than pulling his weight. He just wishes Daley could see him now.**

**Melissa who has been working hard as usual, was on the receiving end of Abby's 'survival of the fittest' mentality resulting in a sprained ankle. She likes to fantasize about Jackson (who doesn't?) and is _working_ her alone time with him. (Go girl!)**

**Jackson's still working harder than anyone, providing most of their meals. He feels responsible for everyone and is worried about "the Abby situation". He still thinks about Taylor once in a while but he's getting busy with Melissa. And what is that damned scent that he keeps noticing?**

**------------------**

**Two sets. Close together. One right print was fainter than the others. _Melissa. _He started following the tracks and calling Melissa and Abby's names. _They went awfully far from camp just to do their business. _Jackson continued walking and calling. He was getting worried. Finally he heard a faint 'over here'.**

**----------------------------------------------- **

**Chapter Four**

Jackson took off running, following the sound. He finally saw them slowly approaching. "Here, let me take her," Jackson said to Abby. "Are you guys okay? You were gone an awfully long time."

"We're fine," Abby said stonily. "Can't a girl have a little privacy? You know, we can't just stand there and aim like you." She unceremoniously dumped Melissa on Jackson then led the way back to camp.

Jackson looked at Melissa but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, fine," she said. She finally raised her eyes and mouthed the word '_later_'. She had a strange look on her face and he noticed leaves and sticks in her hair and dirt on her face and shirt.

They soon arrived back at camp. Eric watched them as they approached the fire. Abby was wearing her normal hard look but Melissa looked weird. _Wonder what that's about? _he thought. Jackson carefully lowered Melissa to the ground and took a seat next to her. He passed her some food as Abby walked over, scooped up her portion and walked to the far side of the camp, sat down on the ground and started shoveling it into her mouth.

Eric noticed that Abby kept staring daggers at Melissa and Jackson. _What the heck is going on?_

They ate in silence. Soon everyone was finished. Eric went about the business of filling up the canteens and water bottles preparing for the journey the next day. Jackson cleaned up the mess from dinner. Abby was still sitting at the far end of the camp and now she had her knife out. _How many times can you clean and sharpen a knife that doesn't get much use? _Eric wondered.

Jackson was thinking something completely different. _I think we need to get that knife away from her. _

"Um, Jackson," Melissa interrupted his thought. "Do you think you could help me to the stream? I'd like to wash up a little bit."

"Sure," he said. Jackson grabbed Melissa's towel and an Ace bandage and helped her to her feet. With her arm over his shoulder they slowly limped out of camp. _There's that smell again _Jackson thought.

Abby watched them go with a sour look on her face. Eric watched as Abby's expression hardened into _what is that, hatred?! _he thought. He quickly ducked his head and lowered his hat over his eyes so she wouldn't catch him watching her. _What the hell is going on in that crazy head of hers? _He could hear her running her knife rhythmically over the whetstone again and again. That sound was really starting to get to him. Eric busied himself with the water and tried not to think about it anymore. _Too scary!_

Melissa and Jackson had arrived at the stream and Melissa had stripped down to her tank top and was washing her face and neck. Jackson looked away to give her a little privacy but also because he was starting to feel his heat rise. _Whoa! Down, boy!_ _Think of something else. Anything. Um, Abby. What she did to Mel. _His heat continued rising but now it was a totally different kind. Jackson squatted down and splashed water over his own head. Then he looked over at Melissa.

"What's going on? What happened when you and Abby left camp?" he asked. Melissa looked him in the eyes. _Fear_. That upset Jackson further.

Melissa looked slowly all around them before answering in a very quiet voice, "You won't believe me."

Jackson had to move closer and lean in to hear her. "Try me. I think I could believe almost anything after seeing Abby push you."

Melissa took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "We walked away from camp. I said we'd gone far enough but Abby said she'd found a perfect place to do our uh, business and it was just a little farther. We came to this small ravine that had rocks scattered along the bottom and the next thing I knew, I was tumbling down the side of it," she said in a small voice. Jackson leaned in even closer. He raised Melissa's face so she was looking him in the eye. Two big tears traced down her cheeks. "Abby pushed me."

Jackson was horrified. "What?! Are you sure ?" he exclaimed.

"Sshhh! She may be listening," Melissa pleaded in a whisper.

"Okay, okay," he said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I have a few scratches, that's all. Jackson, if you hadn't come looking for us I don't know what she would've done."

"What do you mean, Mel?"

"She seemed really disappointed that I'd missed hitting any of the rocks at the bottom and she was making her way down to me when you called out. She...she had picked up this big rock and I...I...I think she was going to do something horrible," Melissa said through her tears, reliving the scene in her head.

Jackson shook his head, "No, Mel. C'mon. No way."

Melissa was shaking now. Jackson took her in his arms to comfort her. "You didn't see the look on her face, Jackson. Her eyes were just, I don't know, _wild_," she said into his chest. "When she heard you calling her face changed, she dropped the rock and she said she'd slipped and lost her grip."

"Mel, are you sure that isn't exactly what happened? She just lost her grip and dropped you?"

"No," she said forcefully, pushing away from him. She looked him in the eye, "Jackson, you didn't see her face. I can still feel her hand prints on my back where she pushed. And, there's more."

Jackson didn't want to believe Abby was capable of purposely trying to hurt Melissa or anyone for that matter. "What?" he asked holding her at arm's length so he could watch her face. "Tell me."

Melissa looked him straight in the eye and told him what Abby had said earlier about pushing her and how the strong survive but the weak don't. She also told him about the fruit Abby gorged on and hoarded for herself. "Jackson, I think we have a serious problem."

Just then they heard a rustling sound and Eric stepped out of the jungle carrying some wood. Both heaved a sigh of relief. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Where's Abby?" Jackson asked quickly.

"Back at camp playing with her knife again. We were low on wood and I knew she wouldn't help so I decided to get some then I heard your voices."

Melissa lowered her injured ankle into the cold water and let it stay there. She looked around again and motioned for Eric to hunker down with her and Jackson. She quickly recounted everything she had told Jackson.

"Whoa! Man, I thought she'd get over this little 'survival of the fittest' thing but I agree, she's getting worse. Oh, oh!! You should've seen her face when you two left camp!" Eric exclaimed as he described the look on Abby's face. "Seriously, it was scary!" he added.

Jackson's head was spinning. He couldn't believe all he'd heard. _No way. Abby wouldn't purposefully try to hurt Melissa. The ankle was an accident. She...no, she couldn't have...or did she?_

"So, what do we do about her?" Eric asked. "Personally, she really gives me the creeps with that knife of hers. The way she is always sharpening it and cleaning it. Ugh!" He gave an involuntary shudder. _I don't even want to think about trying to take it away from her, that would be one ugly scene _he mused.

"Jackson?" Melissa said quietly. He looked at her. "I'm scared."

"Yeah, me too," he said.

"Well that's not very reassuring," Eric said somewhat sarcastically.

"I don't know what to do," Jackson said running his hand through his hair and ignoring Eric's comment.

"You don't believe me," Melissa said sounding hurt.

"No, I _do_ believe you, Mel," he said looking her in the eye. "That's the problem. I just have no idea what to do about it. I think we could _all_ be in danger."

"No, only me," she replied calmly, comprehension suddenly dawning on her features.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"What does Abby always say? '_The strong survive, the weak don't'_ and right now, I'm the only weak one."

They all pondered that for a minute. "She's right, chief. She's the injured gazelle and Abby's the lion going after her," Eric said slowly nodding. "We need to get that knife away from her."

"Look, we've been gone a long time, she may be getting suspicious. I say we head back to camp, act normal and watch her like a hawk. That's all we can do for now. If we try and take her knife away, God knows what she'd do," Jackson said.

"I'll go first, I think I have enough wood," Eric said.

"Okay then. We'll be there shortly. If Abby asks…"

"Unlikely," Eric interjected.

"…Melissa is soaking her ankle in the stream and we'll be back soon," Jackson finished.

"Got it."

Eric walked back toward camp picking up wood here and there. Jackson sat back down and carefully lifted Melissa's ankle out of the stream. The swelling had gone down considerably and now it was just a mixture of colors: purple, black and blue.

"How am I going to be able to climb and hike tomorrow?" Melissa asked.

"Well, if you keep it elevated all night and we wrap it good tomorrow I think you'll manage. You'll have me and Eric to help you," he said.

"Yeah, but Abby won't be happy with how slow we're moving."

"You let me worry about Abby," Jackson said giving her shoulder a squeeze. All of a sudden his face lit up. "I have an idea. You wait here and put that ankle back in the water. I'll be back in a bit."

Melissa watched him hurry off wondering what he was up to. She took this opportunity to wash herself a little more thoroughly now that she was alone. She removed her tank top and splashed water over her head, shoulders and chest. The cold water felt so good on her skin. She thought about Jackson kissing her and touching her. It sent shivers down her spine. _All right, Melissa. Knock it off before you drive yourself crazy! You have _serious_ things to worry about. I can't believe you even went there at a time like this! _She toweled off and pulled her shirt back on. _Abby wants to do God knows what and you're thinking about some boy's lips? And hands. And... STOP!!! Well, that's preferable to thinking about someone wanting to hurt me. Enough! _Melissa suddenly worried that having an internal argument with herself wouldn't be considered "healthy". _Maybe I'm the one cracking up, not Abby. No, I don't want to hurt anyone. Just make out with someone. _Melissa smiled to herself.

-------------------------------------

**A/N: OK, that's all you get for now. Want more? PLEASE review! I have the next several chapters already written and waiting. More Mackson action. **_**Soon**_**. Want it? Review! Please! (Sigh) I'm just curious to know what you all think. OOC or not, are you: (Circle all that apply) Liking? Bored? Scared? Turned off? Turned on? Disappointed? Entertained? All of the above? None of the above? A,C and E but not B? ****Tell me! Please. Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, Taylor didn't win the immunity challenge, may contain some background from F29D books that I've expanded on, blah, blah, blah…plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note: ****LOVE you all for reviewing and PMing! Thanks!!!**

**Alert: I'm doing it, I've been threatening long enough so now I'm just going to do it. I'm changing the rating to M for now, _just to be safe_. Impressionable young minds and all that, you know. There, I've done it. Caution: this is NOW rated M. ****I will not be held responsible for damaging or corrupting young minds. **

**You may think some (or all) of the characters are OOC. I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences,_ EPOTPTTTKOTDL_O_HFDBOTIE, _for short. **_**Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. **_

**Remember, this is just _my _little version of one possibility. **

**Poetic license, suspend disbelief, all that rot, blah, blah, blah...IT'S _FICTION_, PEOPLE!!!!**

**PLEASE review when you've finished. THANKS! Hope you enjoy.**

**----------------------------**

**If you want more character/story recap, see 'The Story Thus Far' from Chapter Four (I rather amused myself with that one).**

**----**

"**You let me worry about Abby," Jackson said giving her shoulder a squeeze. All of a sudden his face lit up. "I have an idea. You wait here and put that ankle back in the water. I'll be back in a bit."**

**Melissa watched him hurry off wondering what he was up to. She took this opportunity to wash herself a little more thoroughly now that she was alone. She removed her tank top and splashed water over her head, shoulders and chest. The cold water felt so good on her skin. She thought about Jackson kissing her and touching her. It sent shivers down her spine. _All right, Melissa. Knock it off before you drive yourself crazy! You have _serious _things to worry about. I can't believe you even went there at a time like this! _She toweled off and pulled her shirt back on. _Abby wants to do God knows what and you're thinking about some boy's lips? And hands. And... STOP!!! Well, that's preferable to thinking about someone wanting to hurt me. Enough! _Melissa suddenly worried that having an internal argument with herself wouldn't be considered "healthy". _Maybe I'm the one cracking up, not Abby. No, I don't want to hurt anyone. Just make out with someone. _****Melissa smiled to herself.**

---------------------------

**Chapter Five**

She was combing her fingers through her hair trying to get all the leaves and tangles out of it when Jackson reappeared. He was carrying a long, sturdy-looking forked stick, a smaller one and a bunch of vines. Jackson sat down next to Melissa and held up his find. "A crutch!" he said enthusiastically. He set them aside and pulled Melissa's foot out of the water again. Cradling it gently on his lap he used her towel to tenderly dry off the injured foot and ankle. He then pulled the Ace bandage out of his pocket and carefully wrapped it. "How's that?" he asked.

"It feels a lot better," she said smiling at him. "Guess we should go."

"Yeah, can't put it off any longer," he replied. Jackson helped Melissa to her feet once more, picked up the supplies to make the crutch and slowly they made their way back to the fire. They arrived and Jackson made sure Melissa was comfortable before he sat down and started working on the crutch. He kept his head down but every once in a while he would raise his eyes to watch Abby. She was still sitting there running the whetstone over the knife blade.

"Abby! Stop!" Eric yelled at her. She seemed to come out of a trance. "That blade is sharp enough and that noise is driving me CRAZY! Give it a rest!" He suddenly realized what he'd just said to Abby. _Oh shit! Please don't let her throw it at me...please don't let her throw it at me... _he thought, hunching over a little to make himself a smaller target.

Abby glared at him but put the whetstone away, pulled out a cloth and started polishing her precious knife. Jackson resumed his work on the crutch. After a while he chanced a look at Abby. Her head was lowered and her hair was hanging in her face but her eyes were trained on Melissa and she was wearing a menacing look all the while caressing her knife with that cloth. Jackson's eyes widened in surprise. _Mel's right! Abby has it in for her. Oh man, what am I gonna do? I have to protect Melissa. And all of us._

Jackson carefully looked up and caught Eric's eye. Abby was so intent on Melissa she didn't notice. Jackson cocked his head and eyes slightly toward Abby, Eric's eyes followed. The longer he watched her the bigger his eyes got. _Holy crap! Abby is totally planning on doing something to Melissa! _Making sure Abby didn't see him, he looked at Jackson and raised his eyebrows as if to say _'what are we gonna do about this?' _Jackson shot Abby a look to make sure she wasn't watching him then raised his own eyebrows and frowned back at Eric while slightly shaking his head '_I have no idea!'_

Jackson finished the crutch and stood up to test it. It seemed sturdy enough so he helped Melissa up so she could try it out. They took a short walk around the camp area. It worked well. "Thanks, Jackson," she said. "This is perfect. It's just what I need for tomorrow!" She gave him one of her beautiful smiles. He felt a little sensation somewhere in his midsection. _I do love her smile._

"Glad to help," he said smiling back at her. Melissa noticed a concerned look in his eyes. '_What?' _she mouthed. He shook his head and cut his eyes in Abby's direction. Melissa nodded imperceptibly.

"Will you come with me while I try this out on some rougher terrain to see how well it really works?" she asked brightly.

"Sure, good idea," Jackson responded. With that they walked off toward the stream.

Eric watched them go and threw some more wood on the fire. He removed his hat and scratched his head. "That was pretty smart of Jackson, now Melissa will be able to keep up tomorrow," he said.

"Ha!" Abby snorted. "That thing won't last long and it certainly won't help her climb this rock," she said gesturing at the sheer wall behind her. "We should just cut our losses," she mumbled.

"What?" Eric asked. _I didn't hear what I just thought I heard, did I? _Abby just stared at the fire like she hadn't heard him. "Maybe there's an easier way up," he said. Abby looked at him like he was an idiot. "Well I'm gonna scout around a little bit and see."

"Whatever. Suit yourself."

Eric walked over to the wall then started following it back toward the stream. _There has to be an easier way up. Surely where this stream is coming from could be another way up. Or around. _Eric almost didn't see Jackson and Melissa. They waved him over.

"Where's Abby?" Jackson asked.

"I guess still back at camp," he replied. "I told her I was going to look for an easier way up this mountain. She said there's no way Melissa will be able to climb it tomorrow. Then she mumbled under her breath and I swear she said we should cut our losses." Jackson looked skeptically at Eric. "Scout's honor, chief!" he said, crossing his heart with his index finger then wiggling his hand in the air in some semblance of a hand signal he assumed meant 'scout's honor' (since he'd never been a boy scout himself, he had no idea). _Note to self: ask Nathan what the "scout's honor" hand signal is for future reference._

Melissa looked horrified. "What are we gonna do?" she asked looking from one to the other.

Jackson hated to see her so scared and tense. _This isn't right. It isn't fair, _he thought. "Any ideas?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

Eric seemed to be concentrating very hard. "Nope, can't think of a thing. Sorry, Melissa." At these words she looked even more terrified. Eric instantly regretted saying them. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you," he assured her, patting her on the arm.

"It'll be alright," Jackson added. He put his arm around Melissa and gave her a little squeeze. "We'll figure out something. Eric, daylight's almost gone, you'd better finish your scouting."

"Right, chief!" he said. He looked at Melissa and said, "Don't worry, we won't let her hurt you." Eric turned back toward the rocks upstream and started looking for an easier passage. He was soon out of sight.

"Jackson, I'm trying to be brave but, I can't help it. I saw the way Abby was looking at me. There's no emotion in her eyes! She's like...like, I don't know, an animal or something. I'm really scared," Melissa said softly. She was starting to shake.

Jackson put both his arms around her and said, "It's okay, Mel. I promise I won't let anything happen to you! I _promise_!" Jackson held her tight trying to stop her trembling. He could smell that faint pleasant scent again. _I sure as hell hope I can keep that promise._

Melissa was leaning into Jackson with her arms wrapped around him, head buried in his broad chest. It was like their two bodies were trying to merge into one, each seeking comfort from the other. She eventually stopped shaking but Jackson didn't notice when. He was noticing other things: the feel of her hands on his body, one on his lower back, the other barely touching his neck as she fingered the cross at his throat. He was stroking her hair absentmindedly. _This is _so_ not the time to be thinking about… _He noticed the smoothness of her sweet smelling hair against his cheek, her breath on his neck, her body leaning up against his. They fit together so well. Jackson's thoughts were becoming foggy. He didn't want to think about the responsibility of everyone's safety for once. _I just want to feel good. And this feels good. _He felt overcome with passion once again and he gently tugged on her hair, slowly pulling her head back. His hungry lips found hers and he devoured her. She let out a little moan of pleasure as his tongue entered her mouth, gently probing deeper and deeper. Hers responded in kind. He felt a burning in his belly and he knew he should stop,_ soon. She's a _nice_ girl,_ he reminded himself. His hands moved lower and lower until he was cupping her firm behind. He rubbed and gently squeezed a few times eliciting another soft moan of delight.

Melissa slowly ran a trail of light kisses down the side of his neck to the base of his throat where his necklace rested in the hollow formed there, tasting his slightly salty skin, breathing in his masculine scent. Her hands were freely roaming over his body, drinking in the feeling of his strong frame. This made him shiver with pleasure. _I feel so safe_ she thought. Then,_ Oh man, am I being too aggressive? Should I slow down? I should stop. Really. I should...but...Oh, just shut up and enjoy it! _She lifted her face and found his lips again. She knew this wasn't the right time or place but she didn't want to think about reality, it was too scary. Melissa wanted to lose herself in these feelings. To forget. And this was the boy she wanted to forget with. Melissa felt a stirring deep inside her core that was driving her actions. She was beyond thinking. She was simply reacting to her primal sensory perceptions: touch, taste, and smell. She was pressing herself into Jackson as hard as she could on her one good leg. Her crutch had fallen some time ago, forgotten. Melissa could feel his growing desire against her stomach, urging her to go further than she ever had with any boy.

Jackson felt himself quickly losing control. It took all his will power to withdraw his mouth, move his hands up to her hips and push her away. "Mel, we've gotta stop!" he gasped. His face was flushed with desire. He was desperately trying to regain control over his body.

Melissa was breathing heavy, looking at him with hungry eyes. _No boy has ever made me feel this safe. Or this reckless. Or this safe about being this reckless!_ Reluctantly she nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I know," she panted, dropping her head. _He's right. We can't lose control. We have more important things to worry about. Abby. Trying to hurt me. Her knife. _

_**Damn!**_

_And there's still Taylor..._

_**Double damn!!**_

-----------------------------------

**A/N: Once again I'm ending after a Mackson encounter. Not much happened, I know, but it just seems like a pleasant place to stop and ponder...**

**----**

**What will happen next? How far will Abby go? Will they get the knife from her or will she use them as targets for her knife throwing act? Or for practicing her animal skinning skills? Will Eric consider joining the boy scouts to learn their cool secret handshake? And seriously, could YOU fear for your safety if Jackson was kissing you? And touching you...and... **_**Abby, who??? **_**And COME ON, what is that DAMNED SCENT?!? ****If you would like the answers to these questions or just want to see what fun Abby has in store for them next, stay tuned. A review would be lovely and appreciated. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, Taylor didn't return from Tribal Council, expanded background material from books may be contained within, blah blah blah...plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note: M Rating continues, just to be safe. Young, impressionable minds, be warned! **

**THANKS to all who have read and LOVE to all who have reviewed! I truly appreciate it (and the PMs).**

**Characters are _EPOTPTTTKOTDL_O_HFDBOTIE _(see Chapter Five author's note for translation)**

_**Some walls go up, other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Remember, this is just _my _little version of one possibility. **

**Poetic license, SUSPEND DISBELIEF, all that rot, blah, blah, blah...IT'S _FICTION_!!!! **

**A review upon completion would be ever so lovely and much appreciated. Hope you enjoy!**

**----------------------**

**Jackson felt himself quickly losing control. It took all his will power to withdraw his mouth, move his hands up to her hips and push her away. "Mel, we've gotta stop!" he gasped. His face was flushed with desire. He was desperately trying to regain control over his body.**

**Melissa was breathing heavy, looking at him with hungry eyes. _No boy has_ _ever made me feel this safe. Or this reckless. Or this safe about being this reckless!_ Reluctantly she nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, I know," she panted, dropping her head. _He's right. We can't lose control. We have more important things to worry about. Abby. Trying to hurt me. Her knife. _**

_**Damn!**_

_**And there's still Taylor...**_

_**Double damn!!**_

**--------------------------**

**Chapter Six**

They stood there for a few minutes regaining their composure and straightening their clothes. "Mel, I think you should, you know, _go_ while we're out here so you don't have to go with Abby, later," he said, completely breaking the mood while handing her crutch back. "I'll wait here so we can go back together."

"What? Oh, yeah," she said, blushing. She limped away into the bushes and was back in a few minutes. They made their way back to camp in the softening light. Jackson was collecting firewood on the way so he wouldn't have an excuse to touch Melissa and stir up those feelings again.

"How is your ankle doing in that wrap?" he asked trying to steer the conversation to something that didn't make him think about her lips caressing his neck. _Stop it, Jackson! You're gonna heat up all over again! You need to focus on protecting her from Abby._

"It feels surprisingly well," she answered. "It should be fine tomorrow, especially with the crutch."

They approached the campfire to see Abby sitting there staring into the flames. She didn't even notice them at first. Jackson set the wood down and threw a few more pieces on the fire. Abby broke her trance and slowly looked up at them. Melissa and Jackson both saw the quick flash of something unpleasant in her eyes before she averted them.

"So, Eric's not back, yet?" Jackson asked. He helped Melissa get settled before sitting down himself.

"You don't see him do you?" Abby replied tonelessly.

At that moment Eric came bouncing into camp. "Ladies and gentleman," he announced grandly, sweeping his hat from his head in an expansive gesture. "I, Eric McGorrill, explorer extraordinaire, have found a better passage to get over this mountain! Please, please, hold your applause, it was my pleasure, really," he said while gesturing like he wanted an audience to quiet down. "Melissa should be able to effortlessly navigate it with her crutch and a little assistance from Mr. Jackson and myself."

"Really, Eric? That's so great! Thank you!" Melissa said. She flashed him a big smile. Eric swept into a low bow. He thought she looked a little flushed. _Hope she isn't coming down with anything, _he thought.

Abby got up and walked into the tent. Eric held a brief, whispered conversation with Jackson then he, too, went into the tent. Jackson looked at Melissa and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes." He walked off into the night toward the stream. He reappeared about ten minutes later looking both exhilarated and relaxed at the same time. "Ready to hit the hay?" he asked.

"Not really," Melissa replied. "Can we talk for a minute?"

_Shit! Are we gonna talk about earlier? _he wondered. "Uh, sure, what's up?"

Melissa patted the ground next to her. Jackson sat down and she leaned into him and put her mouth to his ear. "What are we gonna do about Abby?" she whispered.

Jackson mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Melissa's breath on his ear was driving him wild. He could smell her sweet scent. _Focus, Jackson! _he thought. "Eric and I are going to take turns staying awake and watching her," he whispered back. "She sleeps with her knife next to her hand. If Eric gets the chance, he'll take it."

"That sounds dangerous!" she whispered more loudly. "Please be careful!"

"We will, don't worry. I want you to take your crutch into the tent. That way if we have to, we could use it to fend her off or knock her out or something, _if_ it comes to that," he said. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Really, don't worry, Mel. You need to focus on getting plenty of sleep because it's going to be hard on you tomorrow. Let Eric and I worry about Abby."

"Okay. Thanks, Jackson, I'll try," she whispered in his ear.

Jackson stood up and added wood to the fire. He then helped Melissa to her feet. They went into the tent and sat down next to each other. Melissa lay back as Jackson carefully unwrapped her ankle and placed her backpack beneath it to elevate it. Melissa settled her crutch between them. Jackson lay down, reached out and grabbed her hand giving it a little squeeze. She fell asleep with her fingers intertwined with his.

Eric was ready to fall asleep himself when he finally noticed Abby's rhythmic breathing signaling she was asleep. He sat up carefully and let his eyes fully adjust to the dim light (thanks to Jackson stoking the fire before turning in). _Ugh! _he thought as he looked down at Abby's face. _With that nasty smile she looks really creepy. Why did I ever think she was cool and want to follow her? Because she wasn't this crazy when she just wanted to eat Lex's chicken _he reasoned_. Or was she? _The thought disturbed him. Eric noticed her knife in its sheath lying between them. He slowly and carefully reached over, eased it away from her hand, then clasped it to his chest. Carefully, he nudged Jackson with his foot.

Jackson's eyes flew open. _Who kicked me? _he thought. Then he remembered that was the signal from Eric. Jackson noticed he was still holding Melissa's hand. He gently disentangled their fingers then slowly sat up. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he could make out Eric's grinning face. He was holding something up in triumph and silently celebrating. Eric passed Abby's knife to Jackson then carefully lay back down. Jackson turned and pulled out his cargo pants. He wrapped the knife in them then slid the pants into the bottom of his pack. He slowly zipped it up. Jackson was wearing a small smile of satisfaction as he lay his head down. He let out a sigh of relief then he snuggled up to Melissa and put his mouth to her ear. "Don't worry, Mel, we've got it, you're safe now," he whispered. Melissa let a little sigh escape her lips as she relaxed in her sleep like she had heard him. He gently kissed her cheek then put his head back on his pack and reached over to entwine his fingers with Melissa's before falling asleep himself.

Jackson's watch started beeping. He opened his eyes groggily. _Damn!_ 6:30 seemed to come earlier and earlier every day. The previous night's success flooded his mind. He smiled and sat up. He noticed Abby had already left the tent. He and Melissa were still holding hands. He gave it a little squeeze. "Mel, time to get up," he said softly. Her eyes opened immediately. She felt his warm, rough hand in hers and smiled. Jackson leaned in and whispered, "We got it, you can relax now." Melissa's smile grew bigger as she sat up to inspect her ankle.

"Eric! Wake up!" Jackson shouted giving him a slight nudge with his foot instead of a full-on kick. Eric sat up sleepily, rubbing his eyes then he remembered his daring deed from the night before. He looked around to be sure Abby wasn't there then he flashed a big grin and a double thumbs-up at Melissa and Jackson.

"See, Melissa. I told you we'd take care of you," he whispered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I hear the call of nature," he said as he grabbed his hat and boots and crawled out of the tent.

"How's that feel this morning?" Jackson asked as he leaned over to look at her ankle. It didn't look swollen but it was still a bright rainbow of colors.

"Not too bad," she replied. She gingerly flexed it. There was a little pain but not much. "I think if I wrap it well and elevate it when I can, I'll do okay. I shouldn't slow us down too much."

"Don't worry about that. We'll only go as fast as you can. Don't try to be a hero and overdo it," he said.

Jackson wrapped Melissa's ankle then helped her into a sock and her hiking boot. If she barely laced it, it fit. They emerged to find it drizzling. Melissa looked at Jackson with a frown. They hadn't planned on this. Scrambling up wet rocks would be dangerous enough for two good legs and damn near impossible for one leg and a makeshift crutch.

Jackson knew what she was thinking and said, "Don't worry, Mel. It'll stop soon. You'll be fine." Melissa nodded and they went about their morning rituals. Soon they were packed and ready to go.

"Okay, Eric, let's see this easier path," Jackson said. "Lead on."

"Follow me!" he said leading the way toward the stream. For once, Abby was second in line. Jackson stayed back with Melissa to make sure she was getting along alright.

Melissa looked at Jackson and whispered, "Did Abby mention her knife this morning?"

"No," he whispered back.

Melissa started thinking. Abby seemed a little different this morning. She hadn't been so nasty. And not noticing her favorite possession missing? _Something's not right, _she thought. _Jackson and Eric may think I'm safe but I'm not so sure. _Melissa decided to keep her thoughts to herself for now. She looked over at Jackson and felt her stomach do a little somersault. _I trust him, he'll protect me._

Eric led them upstream for a bit to where the stream emerged from the mountain. Melissa was able to keep up fairly well. "There you go," he said, sweeping his hand upward.

"Eric," Melissa said, stunned. "You do realize this goes almost straight up, don't you?"

"Yeah, but _look_ at it," he replied. They all stared not really seeing what was so much better. "It's like stair steps or something," he said. "See. It will be much easier to climb up because it's gradual, like walking up stairs. Enormous stairs, with plenty of hand and footholds and lots of flat places for resting."

They all looked up this 'path' with new eyes. "Wow! Eric, this is great!" Melissa beamed at him. "It will be so much easier for all of us, not just me."

"Let's get going then," he said leading the way.

Jackson was right, the drizzle had stopped and the sun was out. Soon the steam was rising from the jungle floor as the water evaporated into the air. Lucky for them, the air near the water was cooler. The stream itself resembled a water fall at some points and generated a nice breeze that when coupled with the canopy of the jungle, kept them from overheating. The rocks were a little slippery but because they were like stair steps and there were lots of vines and vegetation, the climb wasn't too bad.

Melissa noticed that Abby was hanging back from the lead. There was really no reason for this as Eric didn't know the way, he had just found the path. _Abby has been in the lead this whole trip, why take second position now? _she wondered.

They climbed about halfway up with little difficulty, the 'stairs' had been relatively small. Eric called a rest break and Melissa gladly sat down and unwrapped her ankle. It was swelling a little bit from the exertion, but not too much. She dangled it in the stream letting the cool water rush over it. Everyone drank some water and ate bananas. Abby didn't look as sullen as she had yesterday. She was looking up at the climb ahead. _She actually looks, what,_ _happy? _Melissa thought. _Maybe she's coming around._

Jackson re-wrapped Melissa's ankle and they started the climb again. At first it was pretty easy but then the 'stairs' got bigger and steeper and they had to start helping each other again. Eric was still climbing in the lead, he helped Abby who helped Melissa then Jackson. There was a particularly big rock ahead and at one point they all had to rely on the person in front of them to hold on to their hands until they could swing their legs over to a foothold. Abby was helping Melissa as Eric was busy relieving himself several yards away behind some kind of large plant. Melissa was a little wary, she still didn't trust Abby, but she had no choice. Jackson, sensing her hesitation, whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I'm right here if she tries anything." Melissa reached up and grabbed Abby's hand with both of hers then swung her legs over toward the foothold. Just as she was at the apex of her swing she felt Abby let go. Melissa stared at Abby as she hung on with all her strength while kicking out looking for the foothold. Abby 's face was malicious.

"Oh no, Melissa!" Abby screamed while trying to grab her hand. "I'm sorry, my hand's sweaty! Jackson, help!"

Jackson saw it happening and he had reached up to try and grab Melissa's legs. He could just barely reach her foot and guide it to the foothold. Luckily, Melissa had a good grip on Abby's arm and Eric, hearing the screams, came sprinting to the edge and reached down to help her up the rest of the way. Melissa sat there panting as Eric helped Jackson up.

"Mel! Are you okay?" Jackson asked, his heart racing.

"I'm so sorry, Melissa!" Abby said again. "My hand was sweaty! Thank God, you're alright!"

"I'm fine. No problem. Thanks, guys," she said panting, as she looked around at all of them. "Do you mind if we just sit here for a few minutes?"

"No, no problemo. Take all the time you need," Eric said. "I could use a few minutes myself."

They all sat there catching their breath. Melissa's mind was reeling. _Oh. My. God. She actually tried it. Right in front of Jackson. And playing it off like it was an _accident_ and she was _sorry_! I hope the boys didn't buy that act. _Melissa had seen the look in Abby's eyes when she let go. _Abby actually just tried to...to...to _kill _me! _Melissa started shaking as the realization sunk in. She couldn't stop.

"Mel!" Jackson yelled, concern in his voice. "What's wrong?" He moved over next to her and pulled her into his strong arms. He rubbed her back and gently rocked her. Melissa just continued shaking. Her eyes were wide with terror.

"What's wrong with her?" Eric asked Jackson quietly, looking worried.

"I think she's in mild shock," Jackson replied. "Wouldn't you be if you'd almost bought it?"

"Yeah, I guess so. What can we do for her?" he asked.

"This is all my fault," Abby said burying her face in her hands.

"No, it's not. It was an accident. Melissa's fine, she's just scared. She'll calm down," Eric said. He patted Abby awkwardly on the back.

Melissa buried her head in Jackson's shoulder and let the feel of his body, the touch of his fingers, his masculine smell, and his heartbeat soothe her. _I can't believe how familiar his touch and his scent are to me already, _she thought_. Melissa! Snap out of it! This is no time to let your hormones take over! Abby just tried to _kill_ you for god's sake, and Eric and Jackson have no idea! They think it really was an accident. _Melissa lifted her head slightly and peeked over Jackson's shoulder. Eric was digging a water bottle out of his pack. Abby was looking out from between her fingers. She looked at Melissa with emotionless eyes, a sinister grin spreading across her features. Melissa's eyes widened in surprise. Eric turned back toward Abby and she quickly buried her face in her hands again and pretended to cry. _Oh God! She's gonna keep trying until she succeeds. And she's got the boys completely fooled. What am I gonna do?_

_-------------------_

**Is Eric _really_ an explorer extraordinaire? Was Jackson a nurse in a previous life? What _will_ Melissa do? More importantly, what the heck is Abby gonna do next?!?! At least we don't have to worry about her skinning anyone or using them as a knife holder. Or do we? Are the boys ever gonna grab a clue? Will Abby succeed in her plot against Melissa? Are Melissa's hormones going to be her downfall? And hey! Where'd the scent go? **

**Stay tuned.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, may contain some background info I've expanded on from the F29D books...the plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note: Keeping the M, just to be safe.**

**You may think some (or all) of the characters are OOC. I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

_**Some walls go up, other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE, SUSPEND DISBELIEF and so forth, it is FICTION after all.**

**--------------------**

**Abby was looking out from between her fingers. She looked at Melissa with cold eyes, a sinister grin spreading across her features. Melissa's eyes widened in surprise. Eric turned back toward Abby and she quickly buried her face in her hands again and pretended to cry. _Oh God! She's gonna keep trying until she succeeds. And she's got the boys completely fooled. _**

**_What am I gonna do?_**

--------------------------------

**Chapter Seven**

Melissa eventually calmed down. Jackson kept whispering soothing things in her ear while rocking her. He hoped she couldn't feel his heart pounding. _Oh God, I almost lost her! _he thought. _What would I do without her? No, I can't think like that. She's still here and needs my help. _Jackson had seen the look on Abby's face when it happened. He knew she had let go on purpose. He was sure Mel knew, too. _That's why she's so shaken up. I gotta get Eric alone and tell him what I saw. We have to figure out what to do about Abby._

Abby stood up and made a big show of wiping her eyes and nose on her sleeve. "Excuse me while I go wash my face," she said. She walked to the far side of the ledge that was closest to the water.

"I'll come with you," Eric said following her.

_Now's my chance, _she thought. Melissa shifted her position so her mouth was next to Jackson's ear. "Abby let go on purpose," she whispered. "I saw her do it and you should have seen the look on her face, I...I think she's trying to...trying to k-kill me!" Melissa could barely get the words out.

Jackson put his mouth against her ear and whispered back, "I know, I saw the whole thing. As soon as I can, I'll clue Eric in and we'll come up with a plan. Remember, I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you and that promise still stands."

Melissa was so relieved. She dropped her head onto Jackson's chest exhaling loudly. _He saw it. He believes me. _Melissa raised her head, looked Jackson in the eye and said, "Thank you for saving my life!" Suddenly, in that moment, the reality of what had happened seemed to hit her all at once. Uncontrolled tears spilled from her eyes and she started shaking again. His arms wrapped around her once more and he just held her.

After several minutes Jackson asked Melissa, "Do you think you can make it the rest of the way up? We can't spend the night here."

"Yeah, just don't let Abby anywhere near me," she whispered, finally pulling away from the sanctuary of his arms.

"Deal," he replied. "Let me check your ankle before we move on." Jackson unwrapped Melissa's ankle. It wasn't any more swollen than it had been the last time they stopped. This was a good sign. "How's it feel?"

"It hurts a little but I can manage," she replied.

"Do you want some aspirin?" he asked as he carefully re-wrapped it.

"No, we need to save it for something more serious."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I've had a sprained ankle before, it's fine," Melissa responded as Jackson helped her to her feet.

The others returned and they continued their climb. Eric and Jackson were much more vigilant on this leg and they didn't let Abby help Melissa. After one more break to eat and rest (and soak Melissa's ankle), they finally made it to the top.

"Woo-hoo!" Eric yelled. '_Woo-hoo Woo-hoo' _echoed across the valley that stretched out before them. "We did it! See, I told you it could be done!" he said to no one in particular.

Jackson surveyed their surroundings. The stream they had been following seemed to originate from somewhere to their left where the mountain was much higher. At the summit it forked and cascaded down each side of the mountain. _Good, we'll have water down the other side, too, _he thought. Beyond the mountain was a very wide, jungle covered valley and beyond that, the north shore. You couldn't actually _see _the north shore but they had a spectacular view of the ocean beyond. Jackson thought he could see a thin trail of smoke rising in the air but he wasn't sure. No one else mentioned it so maybe he was imagining things or it was a trick of the light. The one thing he didn't see that they were hoping for was civilization. A town, some huts, a weather station, _anything. _But there was nothing. "Well, we need to keep going, we can't spend the night up here. We need to get as far down this side as we can, find a camp site, get water and food."

"All right! Let's go, chief!" Eric said enthusiastically. He scanned one last time from east to west but there was nothing but mountain and jungle and ocean. He hadn't seen the town he'd hoped for but they couldn't see the actual north shore so Eric still had hope. He had to. He didn't want to face the fact that they may not find anything on this island. _There could easily be a house or a boat anchored there and we just can't see it for the trees,_ he told himself. _Or a McDonald's…or a Starbuck's…or... _

Eric took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly then started down the other side of the mountain. This was a little easier as the rocks were like much wider stairs and there were more vines and plants to grab onto. Abby followed Eric then Jackson helped Melissa. Going down was a little harder with the crutch than going up had been.

Melissa was nervous about the descent. She hung back from Abby as much as possible. Jackson was by her side the whole time. She noticed he didn't seem to want to lose physical contact with her even for a minute. His hand in hers and his reassuring smile did much to calm her fears. They steadily worked their way down. Eric figured they were about halfway when Jackson called for a stop.

"I think we need to find a place to set up camp," Jackson said. "Eric will you scout down the next level and tell us if there's more room than here?"

"You got it, chief!" he said, dropping his pack and heading toward the cliff's edge. He came back soon. "Sorry, but this looks like the best place to spend the night. The next few levels are a lot smaller."

"Thanks, man. Guess I'll make a fire pit, Eric how about you get us some water and Abby will you gather some firewood?" Jackson asked.

"Sure," they said and left to do their tasks.

"Hey, what about me?" Melissa asked. "What can I do?"

"You just sit there looking beautiful and relax," Jackson replied. "That was quite a shock you had." _Did I just call her beautiful? Well hell, she is. _

_Did he just say I was beautiful? _Melissa smiled to herself. "Look, I'm going to go, you know." she said. "I'll be right back."

"Do you want me to walk you ?" he asked anxiously. _I don't want to let her out of my sight._

"No, I'll be fine," she said. Melissa limped toward the heaviest vegetation. _I'm not gonna just sit around 'looking beautiful' _she smiled_. I need to _do_ something. _Melissa kept her eyes and ears open for Abby. She knew she couldn't be trusted. She scanned the trees and spied what she was looking for. Fruit. Lots of it. Melissa took off her outer shirt and gathered as much as she could carry then tied it shut. She turned and started back to camp. Jackson saw her approaching with a bulging bundle and rushed forward to help her. Eric was starting the fire and Abby was sitting staring into the distance.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"Well they were right there, it's no big deal," she replied. "I don't like feeling useless and I need something to keep my mind off of, you know," she said cutting her eyes toward Abby.

"Fine, you can sit by the fire and do the water. How's your ankle?"

"Still a little swollen. I'll unwrap it and put cold cloths on it when I'm done with the water."

"Hope you guys don't mind but I'm too beat to try fishing today. We'll just have fruit."

"That's fine." "No problem, chief." Melissa and Eric answered. Abby didn't seem to have heard him.

"The sky looks clear so what do you think of sleeping under the stars tonight?" he asked.

"Cool." "Beautiful night for it."

Melissa started boiling the water for their canteens and water bottles.

"I'm gonna go look for more firewood," Jackson said. He caught Melissa's eye and mouthed, '_will you be okay?' _She nodded and gestured at the water and bottles. _I hate leaving her even for a few minutes. _"Eric, come help me so we only have to make one trip."

"Whatever you say." Eric and Jackson walked off toward the stream.

Melissa continued boiling, filtering and filling. She pretended that she was engrossed in her work but she was keeping an eye on Abby. She was nervous with both boys gone but she knew they weren't far and Jackson was filling Eric in on what had really happened earlier. A little plan was formulating in Melissa's brain. She looked at Abby and said, "Abby, I just want to say thanks for what you did today."

Abby just stared at Melissa. "What did I do?" she asked immediately sounding defensive.

"You helped Eric and Jackson save my life! I'm really grateful!" she replied flashing her a big smile.

Abby looked away trying to cover her confusion. Melissa ducked her head so Abby couldn't see her smile. _I'm still not willing to completely give up on you, Abby Fujimoto, _she thought_. The sweet girl I knew at Hartwell has to _still _be in there somewhere. Maybe a little kindness will bring her around. If not, I'll at least make her think I don't suspect her._

Eric and Jackson returned with armfuls of firewood. Eric kept glancing at Abby nervously until Melissa caught his eye and made a face that told him to '_knock it off!'_ They set the wood down and Jackson added some to the fire. He looked at Melissa and she gave him a slight smile with a quick shrug and shake of her head. Jackson looked at Abby. She was looking confused and staring off into space.

They sat around the fire eating their fruit. Melissa had her foot propped up with a cold cloth covering it. The colors on it were still quite vivid but the edges were fading.

The sky was growing darker and darker. The stars came out in a brilliant display. Jackson kept adding wood to the fire and everyone just sat around lost in their own thoughts. Abby finally got up and unrolled her sleeping bag away from the others and the fire. She crawled in and turned her back on them without a word.

"'Night, Abby!" Melissa called. No response. Melissa shrugged. _I have to keep trying. And keep up the appearance of trusting her._

"Excuse me," Eric said as he walked into the jungle for a few minutes. When he came back he unrolled his sleeping bag between the fire and Abby then crawled in. "'Night, guys," he said as he placed his hat over his face. He was asleep in no time.

Jackson got up and unrolled he and Melissa's sleeping bags next to each other on the opposite side of the fire from Abby and Eric. He helped her get settled. He made sure her foot was elevated and comfortable then he lay down beside her. He put his arm under her shoulders and pulled her close. He put his mouth to her ear and whispered what he and Eric had decided to do about Abby. He felt Melissa relax against him. She was playing with his necklace again. _I feel safe, _she thought.

Jackson tried to keep his mind on the seriousness of their situation with Abby but he was distracted by the girl in his arms. _She smells so good. _The events of the day kept playing in his head. He was so relieved that Melissa was alright he couldn't stop touching her, reassuring himself that she was really there. He was aware of the warmth of her body, her touch at his throat. Without realizing it, he was pressing up against her, hungry for that warmth. That touch. Melissa turned her head and their lips met. His free hand found her hip and pulled her body closer. Her hand moved to his face and gently stroked his cheek. She pulled back a little and whispered, "Thank you, Jackson."

"For what?" he whispered back.

"For saving me. For protecting me. For everything."

He leaned forward and kissed her. She responded in kind wrapping her arms tightly around him, inviting him even closer. Jackson's mouth moved across her cheek to her ear lobe. As he gently nibbled it he felt Melissa shiver with pleasure. They were clinging to each other almost desperately, trying to find solace in touching and kissing. Melissa was trying to shake the feeling of emptiness she'd had since being suspended those several seconds thinking she was going to die. She wanted to erase that memory, that empty feeling by just filling her senses with Jackson. She buried her face against his neck tasting his skin and breathing in the familiar scent of him that both calmed and excited her at the same time.

Melissa ran one of her hands through his hair, to the back of his head encouraging him to explore further. He obliged, his lips making a trail of kisses down the side of her neck and across her collar bone as his hand sought and cupped her breast, his thumb teasing her hardening nipple through her shirt. Melissa bit her lip and moaned quietly as her hand moved farther down and grasped his rear. She was urging his pelvis closer to hers as their lips met again. She could feel his growing desire which in turn fed hers. They both knew they had almost lost something precious, she her life, he, his best friend. All that mattered for Jackson was being as close as possible to this girl, consuming her with his hands and lips, almost like he was proving to himself that she was really there and safe. For Melissa, she just wanted to_ feel. _To feel _alive. _They slowly shifted position, Jackson carefully rolling over on top of her. Melissa spread her legs slightly and hooked one over Jackson's hip. She was feeling wild and the need to communicate to him through her body. She knew they should stop. He knew they should stop. Neither wanted to. The rest of the world didn't exist. Only the smell, the taste, the touch and the desire of each other.

Suddenly, they froze. Their lips parted as their eyes flew open.

-----------------------------


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note regarding Chapter 7**

**In response to carterfinley's review: Eric was more vigilant and didn't let Abby near Melissa because Melissa had "slipped" and almost fallen to her death. My reasoning: he figured Abby wasn't strong enough to help her and he felt a little guilty, if he'd been helping, she wouldn't have almost fallen. My apologies for not making this more clear.**

**------------------------------------------**

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, Taylor's not invited to All-Stars, may contain background info from F29D books expanded by me, blah, blah…plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note****: Still M to be safe. **

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

**_Some walls go up, other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once._**

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE, SUSPEND DISBELIEF and so forth, it _is_ FICTION after all.**

**Thanks to all who read and review and/or message. I truly appreciate it.**

**---------------------**

**Suddenly, they froze. Their lips parted as their eyes flew open. **

----------------------------

**Chapter Eight**

Eric had let out a tremendous snort and was now snoring away, full volume. Their eyes met and they silently giggled. Their bodies were still entangled, their breathing ragged. Jackson slowly rolled off of her.

"Saved by the snore," Melissa whispered with a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess," Jackson replied quietly.

"Are you mad?" Melissa whispered, puzzled by the tone of his voice.

"Only at myself," he said. "Mel, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…It's not fair to you. I don't want to hurt you. I'm still not sure..."

"Jackson, it's okay. I know. My hand on your butt wasn't asking you to stop," she smiled at him.

He could still taste her kiss and feel her body against his, her hands urging him to go further. _I can't do this to her. I want her so bad but it's not fair. _Jackson reached out and zipped Melissa's sleeping bag shut. He smiled at her. "No more temptation," he whispered.

Melissa smiled. "Oh, alright." She pulled one of her arms free, reached over and zipped Jackson's sleeping bag shut. "I don't need the temptation either." They both laughed quietly. " 'Night, Jackson."

"Good night, Mel."

Several hours later Melissa woke up. _I'm roasting to death! _she thought. She slowly unzipped her sleeping bag, sat up and pulled off her shirt leaving only her tank top. _Whew! That's better. _She looked over at Jackson and smiled. He looked like a little boy in his sleep. She was tempted to reach out and ruffle his hair but she didn't want to risk waking him. As she was gazing at him she thought about their earlier passion. She closed her eyes as she remembered the feel of his kisses on her neck, his hand on her breast, the heat of his body. She shivered in delight. _Stop it, Melissa! _she thought. She opened her eyes. _I can't let that happen again. I don't want to get hurt. He was just caught up in the situation, we both were. We can't afford to get carried away and do something stupid. He could still pick Taylor. _The thought popped unbidden to her mind. She frowned for a few seconds then her face smoothed out. She sighed. _That's the mantra I need to control myself. He could still pick Taylor. He could still pick Taylor. Every time I look at him, that's what I need to think. _

Melissa sighed again. She felt the call of nature. She chanced a look at Jackson's watch. _5:30_. _Time to get up soon. _She extracted herself from her sleeping bag and quickly wrapped her ankle. She slipped on her hiking boots and stood up. She peered through the smouldering fire at Eric and Abby. Eric was still snoring and Abby still had her back to them. Leaving her crutch behind, Melissa quietly crept out of camp in the direction of the stream. She found a clump of bushes, did her business then limped toward the water. She had to feel her way slowly as it was really dark under the trees. She could hear the water nearby and knew she had to be careful, the stream veered away and there was a sharp drop to one side, it wouldn't take much to fall. As she approached the edge of the water near the cliff she froze. She was aware of a presence behind her. She slowly turned and there stood Abby. Melissa took note of the look of malice on Abby's features. _No! _Melissa tried to conceal her fear. "Oh, Abby, you scared me!" she said in her most cheerful voice her hand going to her chest. "You couldn't sleep either? I was so hot I thought splashing some cool water on my face would help," Melissa finished rather lamely.

"Cut the crap, Melissa!" she spat. "We both know why I'm here."

"What do you mean, Abby?" Melissa said, trying to think fast. _I wonder if the boys would hear me scream from here. _Melissa realized the loud, rushing sound of the water would drown out any screams. _If I can stall her long enough maybe they'll wake up and realize we're gone. _

"You know what I mean," she replied coldly. "You're slowing us down and I can't have that."

"I'm keeping up just fine, Abby and my ankle is getting better everyday." Melissa tried to keep her voice calm.

"You're slowing us down and we still have a lot of ground to cover." Abby had an almost maniacal look on her face. "I have to find Ian, Jory and Captain Russell. You're wasting too much of my time."

"But I'm not, Abby!" Melissa's voice was getting a little louder as she was fighting panic. "I'm keeping up and anyway, we're almost to the north shore. Several more days and we'll be there. I want to find Ian, Jory and the captain as much as you do!"

"We can make it in less than three days if you're not with us. You have to go so that the rest of us can survive," Abby stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay, then I'll stay here. You all can go on without me. No problem."

"Please, Melissa. We both know Jackson won't leave you here alone. Not his precious _Melissa,_" she said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Well, then, um, you and Eric can go on ahead and, and, and Jackson and I will uh, catch up later," Melissa stuttered. She tried smiling at Abby.

"Nice try," Abby remarked. She was standing there with her arms crossed looking at Melissa like she was the most pathetic human being on earth.

"Abby, ABBY!" Melissa yelled trying to break through to the real Abby. "Look, I understand you've been through a lot but are you really going to _kill_ me? I'm your friend, Melissa, remember? We've known each other practically our whole lives. The Abby I know _can't_ hurt any living thing. You don't eat animals, you won't wear leather. C'mon, Abby!" Melissa could no longer keep the pleading out of her voice. She was desperate.

"That Abby wouldn't last two days here. She's gone. This is the _new_ Abby. This Abby wants to _live_," she said.

Melissa didn't recognize the person in front of her. There was no trace of the old, sweet Abby in her face at all. There was some kind of a crazy gleam in her eyes. "If you kill me, that will just waste more time because Jackson and Eric will insist on burying me."

"Not if they can't get to your body."

"Abby, please! Just leave me here. I'll leave Jackson a note saying I've gone back to the plane and to go on without me. You don't have to do this." Melissa was trying to keep her panic under control so she could think of a way to get out of this.

"Melissa," Abby said laughing and shaking her head. "Do you _really_ think Jackson would fall for that and if he did, what makes you think he wouldn't turn around and go after you?"

"Well, if he does, you and Eric can still go on. We're almost there now."

"Don't you get it? _Jackson_ is the strongest. I need _him_ to help me survive. Not Eric. Not you. Actually, until you hurt your ankle, Eric was the weakest link. Unlucky break for you. Or should I say sprain?" She smiled cruelly.

"But it's your fault that I sprained my ankle!" Melissa yelled. She was starting to get mad now. "Jackson and Eric know what you're trying to do! They'll know it was you! Do you really think either of them will help you once they realize you've killed me?"

"But they won't know. They think I was going to use my knife on you. They think I didn't notice they took it. Silly boys," she sneered, shaking her head. "Besides, I'll be back in my sleeping bag long before either of those two wake up. It will just look like you got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, got turned around in the dark and fell to your death. Poor Melissa! How sad. Then we can be on our way to finding the others."

"So you'll kill me just to find the others a day earlier? IF you find them at all. Suppose they're already dead? Then what? You commit murder for no reason? That's what it is, Abby, _murder_. And what if you do get rescued? Jackson and Eric will tell the authorities what happened. You'll go to jail. Do you want to get rescued just to be locked up in prison? Locked up in a small little box for the rest of your life?" Melissa finished calmly.

Abby just stared at Melissa. _Is that a flicker of doubt I see in her eyes? Am I finally cracking that shell? C'mon boys! Wake up and come looking for us! Please! _"Abby, suppose you _never_ get rescued. Are you just going to pick everyone off one by one because you think they're the weak link? That will just end with you being all alone. Is that what you want? To be ALL alone _again_?" Abby seemed to be thinking about this. Several different emotions crossed her face in rapid succession. _She's getting confused, good! _Melissa had been slowly moving away from the edge during this speech. A little more and she could try to make a run for camp.

Abby suddenly shook her head a few times and looked hard at Melissa. "I don't think so," she said coldly, noticing that Melissa was moving away from the edge of the cliff. "I've been saying it since my time alone in the jungle, the strong survive, the weak don't. You're weak, I want to survive. You have to go."

Abby suddenly lunged at Melissa. Melissa was expecting this but her weak ankle gave a little bit. She was thrown off balance. She started screaming, praying the boys would hear her and come to help but she knew she couldn't depend on that. She was on her own. "NO ABBY! STOP! YOU CAN'T!!" Abby kept coming at her driving her closer and closer to the edge. She pushed back as best she could while trying to maneuver away from the edge but Abby seemed to have super human strength.

"JACKSON! ERIC! HELP!"

Melissa's ankle couldn't take much more. Her good foot hit a muddy patch just as Abby came at her for another push. The force of the push coupled with the mud caused Melissa's good foot to slip out from under her and fly up as she fell backward. It made contact with something solid.

The last thought Melissa had was the feeling of falling backward into nothingness.

--------------------

**A/N: GASP!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**---------------------------**

**This was a short chapter but I think you'll agree it gives new meaning to the word, _cliffhanger_. **


	9. Chapter 9

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, may contain background info from F29D books that I've expanded on, blah…plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note: **

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

**_Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. __Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once._**

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE, and so forth, it _is_ FICTION after all.**

**SUSPEND DISBELIEF to fully enjoy this fiction.**

**I'm not a doctor, I just play one in this ff. :) Not real medical advice, do not use to treat yourselves. (Okay, bits of it are real but it's poetically licensed for the sake of the story).**

**------------------------------------------**

"**JACKSON! ERIC! HELP!" **

**Melissa's ankle couldn't take much more. Her good foot hit a muddy patch just as Abby came at her for another push. The force of the push coupled with the mud caused Melissa's good foot to slip out from under her and fly up as she fell backward. It made contact with something solid.**

**The last thought Melissa had was the feeling of falling backward into nothingness.**

-----------------------------

**Chapter Nine**

Eric's eyes flew open. He sat up. _What was that? Did I hear something? Was it a dream? What? _He rubbed his eyes. He listened. _No sounds. _He looked over at Abby and noticed her sleeping bag was empty. Eric's stomach did a little flip-flop. _Calm down, dude. She's probably just going to the bathroom _he told himself. Eric looked across the remnants of the fire. He could just make out a tangle of sleeping bags. _Whoa! Are Melissa and Jackson sleeping together? _Eric grinned at the thought. He couldn't separate out two bodies from the pile. Eric rubbed his eyes again to clear them. He looked again but still couldn't tell. _Sorry guys, but I gotta make sure. _Eric stood up and crept closer to Jackson and Melissa. His eyes were still adjusting to the light. He could make out Jackson zipped into his bag and close beside him was Melissa's bag, empty. _Abby's bag is empty, Melissa's bag is empty. What does that mean exactly? _Comprehension dawned. "JACKSON! Wake up! Melissa and Abby are gone!" Eric yelled.

Jackson was awake in an instant, sitting up and trying to get out of his sleeping bag. _Why is this thing zipped all the way up? _He glanced at Melissa's bag beside him and noticed her shirt was there but her hiking boots were gone. "What's going on, Eric?" he asked finally freeing himself and grabbing his own boots. He looked at his watch. _6:15_

"The girls are both gone. Something woke me up, a sound, I think. I thought maybe it was a dream but when I saw both girls were gone, I don't know, man." Eric sounded confused and scared.

"Get your boots on, we need to go look for them." Jackson finished tying his own boots then fished in his backpack and pulled out his knife and handed Abby's to Eric. He then stirred up the embers and threw all the remaining wood on the fire building it up as big as possible.

"What's this for?" Eric asked, eyeing the knife in his hand.

"We don't know what we're going to find. We may need them," Jackson said. "Let's go."

Eric followed Jackson into the early morning darkness. They instinctively headed toward the stream. _If Abby was going to try something it would probably be there, _he told himself. _Or for all we know, Melissa's just there soaking her ankle and Abby's in the jungle relieving herself. At least I hope that's all it is. _Eric didn't want to think about facing a homicidal maniac in the form of his friend, Abby. He looked at the knife in his hand again. _What the hell are we gonna do?_

Jackson was slowing down. He held his hand up for Eric to stop. Eric watched intently for his next cue. Jackson held his index finger to his lips and suddenly crouched down. Eric followed suit. They peered through the bushes toward the stream. The sky was becoming lighter in the east in preparation for the sunrise. He could make out something lying near the edge of the cliff. It was a body. Eric felt his blood run cold. He copied Jackson and scanned the area. They couldn't see anyone else. They slowly crept out of the bushes toward the body. Jackson got to it first. He knew who it was before he turned it over. _Abby. _She had a bloody lip, scratches on her arms, her shirt was torn and there was a muddy mark on her chin. "Melissa!" Jackson called. "Melissa! Where are you?" Abby stirred a little. Jackson turned to Eric and said, "Cut some vines so we can tie her up."

Eric stared from the knife to Abby to Jackson and back at the knife. "GO!" Jackson yelled. Eric took off toward the trees and started cutting down vines. "Make sure they're good and strong!" Eric soon returned with an armful. He tucked Abby's knife in his waistband and set to work tying Abby's feet while Jackson tied her wrists. They dragged Abby over against a tree and tied her to it. She still wasn't fully conscious.

"Do you really think this is necessary?" Eric asked quietly.

"Don't know," Jackson replied evenly. "But there's no sign of Melissa, and Abby was obviously in some kind of fight. Better safe than sorry."

"Yeah, okay." Eric didn't sound wholly convinced.

"You stay here and watch her, I'm gonna look for Mel. Don't untie her, no matter what she says, got it?"

"Yeah, got it. Barney Fife, reporting for guard duty," he said, saluting.

Jackson checked the vines one last time to make sure Abby couldn't escape then he took off in search of Melissa. He called her name again and again. He made a wide circle back to camp, picked up a water bottle then headed back to Eric. There was no sign of Melissa, anywhere. The sun was just edging over the horizon. Jackson walked up to Abby and squirted half the water in her face.

Abby came to, sputtering and shaking the water out of her eyes. She gingerly worked her jaw as she took in her surroundings. She saw Jackson towering over her still holding the water bottle. Eric was crouched down a few feet behind and to the left of him.

"Where's Melissa?" Jackson asked. He was wearing his hard, gang face.

Abby just looked back at him with those wild eyes and started laughing.

Jackson hunkered down in front of her. "I mean it Abby. What have you done to Melissa?" Abby just laughed louder. Jackson slapped her across the face as hard as he dared. He was barely able to control his rage. Eric winced at the sound of the slap but said nothing. The laughing stopped. Abby hadn't even flinched.

She looked Jackson in the eye and said in a flat voice, "She's gone."

"What do you mean, 'she's gone'?" he demanded.

"She was weak. She was slowing us down. She's gone." Abby flashed Jackson a big smile like this was a normal everyday conversation. The dark red imprint of his hand was still clear on her cheek.

"Abby, I'm not playing games. Tell me where Melissa is."

Abby looked at Jackson a minute, smiled, then cocked her head toward the edge of the cliff. Jackson felt his stomach drop and his heart start pounding in his chest. _No! _He and Eric raced over to the edge, dropped to their knees and carefully looked over. Jackson heard a sharp intake of breath and realized it was his own. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. About fifty yards below them was Melissa. She was face down and one of her legs (_her injured leg _Jackson noted) was hanging off the cliff. She wasn't moving. "MELISSA!" he yelled. "Melissa! Are you alright?!" No movement. No response. _I have to get down there! _was all he could think. He heard a noise and turned to see Eric run into the bushes and retch.

Abby started laughing again. "Well, untie me so we can pack up and get going. The sun's up and we have ground to cover. We're losing time."

Jackson walked over to Abby and stood there looking at her for a full thirty seconds. Eric came out of the bushes wiping his mouth. He surveyed the scene in front of him and felt his stomach heave again. _Holy shit! What's Jackson gonna do? I've NEVER seen him like this! _Jackson dropped to the ground next to Abby and pulled his knife from his waistband. He had a look of pure contempt on his face. He slowly removed the knife from its sheath and held the glittering blade in front of her face. Abby was watching the knife with a small smile on her face, fascinated. Eric was horrified. _He's gonna do it! He's actually gonna hurt her! Oh. My. God. _

Jackson put the knife close to Abby's neck then in one quick slashing motion he separated her sleeve from her shirt. He put the knife back in its sheath and tucked it back into his waistband. He then peeled her sleeve off and tied it tightly around her mouth so she couldn't make another noise. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up," he said slowly in a low, menacing voice. Eric expelled his breath loudly. He hadn't realized he'd been holding it.

Jackson got up and motioned for Eric to follow him. He sprinted back to the fire and dumped his backpack out on his sleeping bag. He then opened Melissa's and grabbed all the first aid supplies throwing them into his pack. "Eric, give me a few bottles of water and you'll need to boil more, fast." He added a few warm sweatshirts and a clean t-shirt to his pack then he rolled up Melissa's sleeping bag and stuffed it in. He added the water bottles Eric handed him on top, zipped it shut and slung it over his shoulder. They jogged back over to the cliff's edge and Jackson said, "Remember, boil more water and DON'T untie her, no matter what. I'll let you know if I'm gonna need help."

"Right. Good luck, chief," Eric said then he impulsively hugged Jackson. Jackson was surprised but he hugged Eric back. "Everything's gonna be okay, " Eric said before he stepped back. "Be careful!"

With that Jackson disappeared over the edge. He carefully started making his way down to Melissa's still form. _Please, God, let her be alive. Please. She doesn't deserve this. _Jackson briefly closed his eyes and fingered the cross around his neck as he said a hasty prayer before continuing his descent.

Eric watched Jackson for a few minutes then ran to collect more firewood and boil water. He cast a quick glance in Abby's direction. She was sitting there rolling her eyes and shaking her head sadly like she couldn't believe they were wasting time with all of this. _She really has completely lost it! _he thought. _How much longer until the rest of us snap?_

Jackson carefully dropped down onto the flat surface and approached Melissa's unmoving body. He knelt down next to her and quietly said, "Melissa, can you hear me? It's Jackson. Melissa? Wake up! Mel?" She didn't stir. Jackson fought the panic he felt rising in his chest as he gently felt her arm. _No broken bones. She's still warm. _He felt her wrist. He exhaled loudly. _A strong pulse, Thank You, God. _Jackson saw her back rising and falling. _She's breathing. _Carefully he probed her arms, legs and back checking for broken bones. She didn't seem to have any. He was afraid to move her. "Mel, hey it's Jackson. You need to wake up now, please," his voice cracked. He gently rubbed her cheek. Still no response.

Eric yelled from above, "How is she?"

"She's breathing and has a strong pulse."

_Thanks, Big Guy! _Eric thought, casting his eyes heavenward. "Do you need anything?" he yelled.

"No. I don't think so. Not right now," Jackson yelled back.

"Then I'm gonna go boil more water!" he yelled down. Jackson waved his arm to indicate he'd heard. Eric ran back to the fire. He refused to look at Abby.

Jackson pulled the sweatshirts out of his pack and covered Melissa with them. He took the water bottle and put a little on his bandana. He gently cleaned her face with it. He splashed a little water on her face. She groaned. "Mel, hey, can you hear me? It's Jackson," he said, hope rising in his voice.

"Oooh. Oww. What? Jackson?" she said weakly. Her eyes fluttered open. "What? Where am? How?"

"Shh. Quiet. It's okay. You uh, took a little tumble off the cliff. Don't move. Tell me what hurts," he said gently, trying not to scare her.

Melissa lay there a minute taking inventory of her body. _Where doesn't it hurt? _Recent events were foggy. _Did he say tumble off a cliff?!?_ _Gosh, I'm so clumsy! Wait. No. That's not right. No. I remember going to the bathroom...then talking to Abby. _Melissa's eyes flew open as she remembered what happened. _Oh God! Abby pushed me off the cliff! _"Where's Abby?" she asked in a panic trying to push herself up.

Jackson held her in place. "Don't move, Mel. It's okay. She's tied up. She can't hurt you." Melissa slowly relaxed. "Now, what hurts? I don't think you have any broken bones but I'm not sure," he said.

Melissa slowly began moving body parts. She could wiggle her toes and move all her extremities. She carefully reached up and felt her neck. It felt fine. _Lucky I have doctors for parents who insisted I learn all this first aid stuff, _she thought. "Jackson, help me turn over." He unrolled her sleeping bag on the ground next to her then gently eased her over onto her back. She was covered in cuts, scrapes and bumps on her arms, shoulders and legs and she had a big bruise on her forehead that was rapidly swelling but there was no significant blood loss anywhere that he could see. He waited for further instructions. "Okay. So far so good" she said. "Now, I need you to gently probe my abdomen to check for internal injuries." She told him exactly how to do it and demonstrated the pressure on his arm.

"But won't that hurt you?" he asked. _God, how is she staying so calm? I'm ready to puke I'm so scared!_

"No and if it does, then we'll know something's wrong," she replied calmly. Jackson felt the panic rising again. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled in an attempt to calm himself. He carefully started probing and watched her face for any signs of pain. He concentrated on his fingertips and what he was feeling under them. _I'm afraid I'll miss something and then…NO! I can't think like that. Mel's gonna be okay. She _has_ to be._ Jackson looked at Melissa's face again. She didn't show any signs of pain.

He finished checking her. Melissa's eyes were closed. "Mel, you okay?" he said loudly, the panic threatening to overwhelm him.

"Hmm? Yeah. Help me sit up."

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

She looked up at him. _He's really scared. _"Yeah, I think so. I want to try it anyway." He took her hand and gently put his other arm under her shoulders then slowly started raising her head. "Oh! Ow!" she exclaimed grabbing her head and wincing. Jackson laid her back down.

"What is it, Mel?"

"My head is killing me!" she said pulling her hand away. It was covered in blood. "Oops."

"Here, let me see," he said. Jackson took another deep breath to calm himself. He moved nearer her head and gently parted the hair where she'd grabbed her head. "There's a small cut about an inch long," he said. "It doesn't look deep but…"

"But?" she asked.

"You have a really big bump on your forehead. I mean, it's huge. It looks really bad, Mel." Melissa gingerly reached up and felt the bump on her forehead.

"Okay. I probably have a mild concussion," she stated matter-of-factly.

"So, what does that mean, exactly?"

"Basically, it means my brain took quite a knock."

"That sounds serious, what should I do?" Jackson was starting to panic again.

"It's okay, Jackson, it's not that serious," she said placing her hand on his arm. "Just give me some aspirin, and don't let me sleep for the next twenty-four hours. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"That's it?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Remember, my parents are both doctors. I've been taught this stuff my whole life."

"So what happens if you fall asleep?"

"Well, I don't think we need to worry about that, okay? The fact that it's on my forehead and not the side or back of my head is a good thing." She flashed him one of her big smiles. His heart beat slowed a little. "How about that aspirin now?"

_How the hell is she staying so calm?!? _"Oh, yeah. Okay, sure." He fumbled in his backpack until he found the aspirin. His hands were shaking. He handed her two then helped support her while she swallowed them with a few sips of water.

"Could you hand me a square of gauze so I can stop this bleeding?" Jackson handed her the gauze. She pressed it to the cut on her head.

"I guess I should start cleaning all these cuts," he said.

"Maybe we should move me away from the edge, first," she replied, sounding nervous. "It looks like I'll be staying here awhile."

"Yeah, good idea," Jackson replied. She winced, bit her lip and let out a little groan as he gently picked her up, sleeping bag and all, and carried her over toward a small clump of trees. He placed her up against one. "You still okay?"

"Yeah."

He brought his pack and the water bottle over. Then he started treating all her cuts and scrapes. She watched his face as he carefully cleaned them and put bandages on the worst ones. She smiled. "You should be a doctor," she said. "You have a nice touch."

He looked at her, surprised. "No one has _ever_ said that to me before."

"Well, it's true. You should. Uh, can I have some of that water?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Here you go." He held the bottle as she tipped her head back and took a few sips. "Are you comfortable?" he asked. "I think I should get some wood for a fire then climb up and get my stuff and some food so we can stay here."

Melissa looked at him. "You're not gonna move Abby down here are you? I..I don't think I'm ready to face her, yet." She sounded scared.

"No. Just you and me." Jackson quickly gathered wood and set it up for a fire. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Yeah. Some of it's still a little fuzzy but…" Melissa closed her eyes and recounted the events with Abby as she remembered them. "…she said you'd never know because she'd be back in her sleeping bag before you ever woke up. What happened?"

"I think when you fell you kicked her in the face. She was out cold when we found her with a muddy print on her chin and a bloody lip," Jackson said. "She'd obviously been in a fight so I knew she had something to do with your disappearance."

Melissa nodded wearily. She still couldn't believe it.

"Hey, let me climb up and get the gear. Are you gonna be okay here for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Jackson. Don't worry."

"I'll send Eric down to keep you company until I get back."

"Okay, but you really don't have to."

"Yeah, I do. I'll be back in a few. Don't fall asleep." Jackson emptied his backpack on the ground near Melissa, made sure she could reach a water bottle then started climbing.

Eric was waiting for him. "How is she?"

Jackson glanced in Abby's direction then motioned for Eric to follow him. They walked to the fire pit. "She's very lucky! She just has a ton of cuts and bruises and a concussion. I'm moving down there with her because she can't sleep for the next twenty-four hours. Can you climb down and keep her company until I'm done here?" Jackson started shoving his stuff back in his pack.

"Sure chief, no problem. Here," he handed Abby's knife to Jackson. "I don't want this up here with her," he said pointing in the direction of Abby.

"Right. Okay." Jackson added the knife to his pack. They walked back to the edge of the cliff. "Stay to the right, it's an easier climb," he said pointing the way.

Eric had closed up Melissa's pack and slung it over his shoulders. Jackson helped him tuck Melissa's crutch between the pack and his back. He clapped Jackson on the shoulder then carefully started climbing downward.

Jackson walked back to the fire and knelt down. He covered his eyes and silently released the tears of panic and relief he'd been holding in. _Thank you, God, for sparing her. I don't know what I would've done if…_He slowly took a breath and released it. _Please give me the strength to deal with this situation. _Jackson was absentmindedly caressing the cross at his throat. _Help me help her. Amen. _He stood up, wiped his eyes one last time and set to work.

Eric reached the bottom and thought, _Wow! I'm not even winded! _He felt his bicep and smiled proudly. _Well if nothing else, I'm getting buff on this island. Wait until Taylor sees these guns. _"Hey, Melissa. How you feeling?" he said walking over and kneeling beside her.

"As well as can be expected for just falling off a cliff...I'd say I'm pretty lucky."

"Yeah, that's what Jackson said. Here, I brought your pack and crutch down. You need anything?"

"Besides a shower, new clothes, pizza, a milkshake, painkillers and a long soak in a hot tub? No, nothing, thanks," she smiled.

"Hey! _I'm_ supposed to be the comedian around here." Eric looked intently at Melissa. "Seriously though, Mel. I'm really glad you're okay." He patted her on the arm.

"Thanks, Eric. So, how's um," she pointed up to where Abby was.

"Man, she's completely bonkers!" he said shaking his head. Eric removed his hat and started spinning it in his hands as he recounted everything that happened from the time he woke up until Jackson climbed down and revived her. "...and I've never seen Jackson so angry!" he finished.

"Eric, you don't _really_ think Jackson would have hurt her, do you?" Melissa asked earnestly.

Eric thought about it a minute. "Nah. Never." They continued chatting, Melissa filling him in on what had happened with Abby. It was some time before Jackson finally returned. He had the fire starter with him. He walked over to check on Melissa then lit the fire and fed it wood until it was roaring. He walked over and sat next to Melissa. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad, considering. I mean I'm a little sore, I've still got a headache and I'm hungry."

Jackson pulled some fruit from his pack and handed it around. Melissa and Eric gratefully accepted it and started eating. Jackson looked at Eric and said, "Did Abby give you any trouble?"

"Nope, chief. I mostly ignored her."

"Well, I took her gag off long enough to feed her and I took her to the bathroom." Eric raised his eyebrows at this. "I kept her tied up on a long vine and she went into a clump of bushes," Jackson said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, what do you say to switching places in about..." Jackson looked at his watch, "five hours and I'll do the same thing again. And maybe by then, I'll have caught some fish for your dinner."

"Sounds good, chief," Eric replied. "Guess I'll be going now. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye, Eric. And thanks," Melissa said.

Eric put his hat back on, saluted Melissa then climbed back up to Abby. He checked to make sure she was secure then he went to take a nap.

"So, do you think you're up for a little move?" Jackson asked.

"Where?"

"Over near the water so I can try fishing?" Melissa tensed up. _The water. Near the edge. _She gulped. _Jackson won't let anything happen to you. _

Melissa nodded. "Okay," she said uncertainly.

Jackson had been watching Melissa's face. He knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry, Mel. This ledge is narrow but it's really long. It wraps around and levels out. The stream runs flat here for some distance. You won't have to go anywhere near the edge." Melissa smiled and relaxed. Jackson got out his fishing hooks _(Taylor's earrings)._ _Taylor. That seems like a lifetime ago. Has it only been a few weeks? _

"Jackson? Is something wrong?" Melissa asked. He was obviously thinking about something.

Jackson looked at Melissa. "I was just thinking about the others. It's only been a few weeks but it seems like a lifetime since we left them." He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "All that static that seemed so important…Damn, that was _nothing_! Abby tried to _kill_ you, three times! She's completely mental, we're trekking across an island with practically nothing to find the others, or rescue, or who knows what, we have to fight disease, thirst, starvation and injuries at every turn…I mean, Geez , Mel. We're just kids! We shouldn't have to deal with all this." The events of the last few hours threatened to finally overwhelm Jackson.

"Come here, Jackson." Melissa said patting the ground beside her. It broke her heart to hear the pain and anxiety in his voice. Jackson moved over next to her. She gently pulled his head down to her shoulder and put her arms around him. "It's okay, Jackson. You're not responsible for everything. Or everyone. And you're not alone. I'm here for you." He started to protest and sit up but she pulled him back down, ignoring her own pain. "Shh. Just sit here and relax. You can take a few minutes for yourself. You're right, we're just kids. It's not fair." She gently rocked him. _Poor guy. He's got the weight of the world, well _our_ world, on his shoulders._

Jackson finally relaxed into Melissa's arms. He settled his head more comfortably against her chest. _It feels nice to just _stop_ for a few minutes. There's that smell again. Are we gonna find the others? I wonder what Lex is doing? Mel feels so good. What the hell are we gonna do about Abby? How many more days till we reach the north shore? Is Melissa really okay? Will we be rescued? Are we gonna find enough food to keep going? _Random thoughts were just spinning through Jackson's head. He could hear and feel Melissa's steady heartbeat. He focused on that. Before long he dozed off. Melissa felt him go to sleep. She smiled into the top of his head and kissed it. She rested her chin on his head and closed her eyes.

"Melissa? Hey, Mel. Wake up!" Jackson was stroking her face. "Mel!"

Melissa's eyes fluttered open. Jackson was staring at her, panic stricken. "What's wrong?" she asked groggily trying to focus her eyes.

"We fell asleep is what's wrong!" he said loudly.

"So?" She could still feel his warmth where he'd been laying against her.

"So? So?! So, I'm supposed to be taking care of you, making sure _you_ don't sleep and I go and doze off!" he said angrily. "Look, I'm not mad at you. That was just stupid on my part. Are you alright?" _I'll never forgive myself if she's not._

"How long were we asleep?" she asked.

Jackson glanced at his watch, "Almost two hours."

"That's it? Jackson, it's okay! You're so stressed you obviously needed it, it's alright! Remember, you're not responsible for everything and everyone!"

"But I'm responsible for you, right now. And I screwed up."

"How did you screw up? I'm _fine_. So we took a little nap. Big deal! Let it go." She smiled at him. "I thought you were going to take me fishing."

"Are you sure you're up for a little walk?"

"Yeah, sure." Jackson helped Melissa to her feet and handed her the crutch. He picked up his fishing gear and slowly walked her to the stream. He settled her into a comfortable position then dug around until he found some bait. Melissa looked around. This was a perfect spot, for fishing, for washing, for swimming. The stream was becoming more of a river and here it widened out into a pool that didn't look too deep. There was plenty of shade around and the sun was shining brightly on the center part. They sat quietly while Jackson fished. Melissa kept a cool cloth on her head to help the swelling. Jackson kept shooting her covert glances to make sure she wasn't falling asleep. They ate some fruit and made small talk, mostly reminiscing about their first few weeks on the island. After several hours, he had caught plenty of fish for all of them. "Well, I think it's time to head back and get these ready for dinner," he said. He helped Melissa to her feet, picked up his string of fish and they headed back toward the fire. Jackson once again settled Melissa into a comfortable position by the fire then he took off to collect more firewood. He returned shortly, stoked the fire then cleaned and spit the fish. He looked at Melissa. Her body and face both looked tense. "You've been awful quiet, Mel. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I mean my head still hurts and all of my bumps and bruises are starting to ache. But that's normal."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. No big deal. Just hurry up and cook those fish, I'm starving!" she flashed him a strained smile.

"Okay. Chill. You can't rush a master chef," he said with a smile. _I can tell she's in more pain than she's letting on but I'll play along. _

"Um, I'm gonna go freshen up before dinner," Melissa said. Jackson jumped up to help her gain her feet.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked. "Do you need help?"

She blushed. "No, I think I can manage, thanks. I'll be back in a few minutes." Melissa limped off on her crutch. She returned about fifteen minutes later. "Um, it's definitely time for more aspirin," she said through tight lips. Her breathing was a little labored.

Jackson looked at her with concern. He got out the aspirin and handed them to her with the water bottle. "The fish are done," he said setting down a palm leaf with a fish and some cut-up papaya on it. Jackson watched her carefully while he ate his own dinner. When he was satisfied she was alright he wrapped some of the fish up and stuffed it in his pack. "I'm going up now. I'll send Eric down with more water. I'll be back in about an hour." He gave Melissa a reassuring smile before he started the ascent to feed Abby.

Eric soon clambered down the cliff and settled himself by the fire. He enthusiastically dug into the fish and fruit Jackson had left there for him. "Mmmm. This is so good! So, Melissa, how you doing?" he asked around a mouthful of fish. He was watching her carefully after his brief conversation with Jackson before he'd climbed down.

"I'm stiff and sore but the good news is, I'll live," she said smiling at him. "How was your day? Any change with Abby?"

"Nah. I took her gag off to give her some water but she was the same nut case. Spouting her 'the strong survive, the weak don't' crap so I gagged her and went back to boiling water then took a nap."

"Eric, be nice. Abby can't help it. She's been through a lot and she...she snapped," Melissa said quietly.

Eric decided not to argue with Melissa. She wasn't looking too hot. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"What? Yeah. I'm just worried about Jackson up there with her alone. What if she tries something? Eric will you go up and help Jackson, please?" she asked.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm done anyway." Eric took some filled water bottles out of his pack and collected their empties. "Do you need anything before I go?" Melissa shook her head. "All right then. Hope you feel better. I'll see you tomorrow." He climbed back up the cliff.

Eric found a grim looking Jackson sitting by the fire. He had tied Abby to a tree near the fire and covered her with her sleeping bag. Abby was shooting Jackson dirty looks. "What's going on, chief?" he asked eyeing the scene warily.

Jackson motioned Eric to follow him away from the fire so Abby couldn't hear them. "Why did you leave Melissa alone?"

"She was worried about you up here all alone with a homicidal maniac…" Jackson looked at Eric with raised eyebrows. "My words, not hers, chief. Anyway, she asked me to come up and help you."

She's been fed, given water and went to the bathroom." Jackson said, cocking his head toward Abby.

"What did she say?" Eric asked. "You're obviously pissed about something. Still spouting her survival of the fittest crap?"

"That and she was trying to persuade me to help her get rid of the both of you. She's convinced that only she and I can survive. If we keep you and Mel around, we're dead." Jackson shook his head disgustedly. "She's getting worse. I don't know how we're gonna travel with her," Jackson said running his fingers through his hair. "We won't be going anywhere tomorrow, Melissa will be too sore and I have to keep her awake all night because of the concussion. Do you think you can take spending another day up here with her?"

"No problemo. I wouldn't mind a little rest myself," Eric smiled. "Seriously. I'll do whatever needs to be done."

"Thanks, man. Another thing. _Don't_ try and feed or take her to the bathroom yourself. She's getting desperate, she _almost_ got away from me and _I_ have the knife. We _won't_ be telling Melissa that," he said looking Eric in the eye. Eric nodded in agreement. "If she needs to go during the night, yell down to me and I'll come up."

"How're you gonna climb that cliff in the dark?" Eric asked. "That's crazy, Jackson. You can't do that. She'll just have to wait until daylight."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Take care, man." Jackson held out his hand and they bumped fists. "And if you need me, just yell."

"You got it, chief. You go take care of Melissa"

Jackson arrived to find Melissa just starting to doze off. "Mel! Hey, Mel! Wake up!" he patted her cheek.

"I'm awake, honest!" she said rubbing her eyes. "Um, how's everything up there?"

"The same," Jackson said shaking his head.

"Jackson, I'd like to take a swim," Melissa said. "I think washing some of this dirt off will make me feel better."

Jackson looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Are you sure, Mel? The water might be pretty cold and it'll be dark in a few hours."

"Yes, I'm sure. I think the water will help. I bet you'd feel better, too."

"Maybe you're right. I do feel kind of grungy." Jackson helped Melissa to the stream. He returned to the fire to change into his suit while Melissa changed into hers near the water. He collected more firewood until he heard her call then he returned to the water and helped guide her into the shrinking sunny spot in the middle of the stream. The water barely came up to the middle of her chest.

"Ahhh. This feels so good!" Melissa said. They both just floated around for a bit letting the water work its magic. It was still pleasantly warm from the day's sun. When the light started fading a little they both submerged and grabbed sand off the bottom to scrub with. Jackson washed Melissa's hair for her. _This feels so good _she thought as she relaxed against him.They were both enjoying the sensation.

Jackson had never washed a girl's hair before. _This is kind of sexy _he thought. He started to get a little aroused. _Down! Abby. Almost killed Melissa. She's hurt. _He regained control over himself then gently washed her back, afraid he'd hurt her. He noticed a lot more bumps and bruises showing up all over her exposed skin. He felt an involuntary rush of anger at Abby for doing this to Melissa and even more anger at himself that he wasn't able to prevent it. Melissa turned to face him then crossed around behind him. She began to wash Jackson's back. She noticed how knotted his muscles were so she started massaging him with slow, rhythmic movements.

He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of pleasure at her touch. _God, her hands feel good. _He could feel the tension draining from his shoulders. _Mel was right, I did need this. _Jackson was remembering what had happened _was it just last night? _He started getting aroused again.

Melissa was delighting in the feel of running her hands over Jackson's naked, muscular back. She thought about what they had done the night before until Eric's snore had brought them back to their senses. _He might pick Taylor. He might pick Taylor, _she reminded herself. _Besides, numskull, you're way too bruised and sore to do anything. _She continued until she felt him completely relax then dropped her hands and waded away as fast as she could. Jackson's eyes flew open. He turned around and saw her moving away from him. "Uh, I'm done. I'm gonna go back and get dressed. I'll um, come get you when I'm finished," she said. Jackson watched her go with a look of mild surprise on his face.

Melissa limped back to the fire. Her face was flushed, her breathing ragged. _I almost lost it back there. What am I thinking? I'm hurt. I almost bought it. And on top of everything, he could still pick Taylor! _she thought. She picked some aloe and her favorite little flowers then got dressed. _This is going to be a looong night. _She grabbed her crutch and limped back to the water. Jackson had dried himself and was collecting more firewood. "All done," she said.

Jackson smiled at her and said, "I'll come get you when I'm ready." He walked away still collecting wood. Melissa spotted some fruit so she collected what she could and made a neat little pile of it. Jackson deposited his wood next to the fire then slowly dressed himself. _Why did Mel pull away from me so fast? _He slapped himself in the forehead, _Duh!_ _Taylor. That has to be it. I can't hurt her. She's been through enough. I have to control myself! I can do that. I'll do anything for Mel. _Jackson sighed and went back to Melissa. He admonished her for collecting fruit but she just shrugged it off. Melissa was getting really sore now.

They slowly made their way back to the fire. Jackson built it up as big as he dared. He had rolled a good sized log he'd found near it. He unzipped his sleeping bag and spread it out over the ground and part of the log. He helped Melissa sit down with her back against the log. He placed water bottles and more fruit within easy reach then sat down next to her. He then unzipped her bag, sat down and spread it over both of them. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "We're gonna have to help each other stay awake," he said. "I figured sitting up would be best."

"Makes sense." Melissa snuggled up with her head on Jackson's shoulder. He grabbed her hand and entwined her fingers with his resting it on his chest. "So, what are we gonna talk about all night?" she asked.

------------------

**Please review. Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, don't own. This chapter is rampant with background info from the F29D books that I have ****freely expanded and used poetic license on. The plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note: This chapter has been banging around my brain since the F29D first season finale, 'Scratch', aired in '06.**

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

_**Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE used profusely, it is FICTION after all. **

**Remember to SUSPEND DISBELIEF to fully enjoy.**

**_This chapter is just a lovely bit of fluffiness._**

**----------------------**

**He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "We're gonna have to help each other stay awake," he said. "I figured sitting up would be best."**

"**Makes sense." Melissa snuggled up with her head on Jackson's shoulder. He grabbed her free hand and entwined her fingers with his resting it on his chest. "So, what are we gonna talk about all night?" she asked.**

**------------------------------**

**Chapter Ten**

"Whatever you want to, Mel."

"Really?" she asked. He nodded. She reached up and touched the cross around his neck. "Can we start with this? Will you tell me about it?"

Jackson took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _How much do I tell her? Can she really handle the truth? Yes, _he realized. _She can. More than anybody. It's time you let someone in. _"You sure you want to hear this? It has to do with my past." He felt her nod against his chest. She joined her hand to his again and gently caressed it with her thumb.

"Only if you really want to tell me. I don't want to force you," she said softly.

Jackson took a deep breath and started. "I have to give you a lot of background before I get to this," he said moving both their hands up and grasping his cross. He told her about his troubled childhood. His father. His mother and her drug problems. His foster care experiences and his jerk of a CDSS caseworker, Mr. Rosenthal. That brought him to his time at Chavez and the problem of being almost the only white kid in a school full of bangers. He talked about hanging with the Samoan gang mostly for protection. Getting into trouble.

Melissa remained silent for the most part. She made little noises to assure him she was listening and she gave his hand reassuring squeezes when he paused. She felt really flattered that he had decided to open up to her. She could tell it was helping him, getting it all off his chest. She was sorry for the pain he'd had to endure most of his young life but she was starting to understand how it had shaped him and why he was the way he was.

"Then I met Big Jay and my life changed forever," Jackson continued. Melissa could hear the smile in his voice. "He's this huge Samoan guy with tribal tattoos on his face and all over, kind of scary looking if you don't know him. He was a banger back in the day but he'd found God in prison and when he got out, he became a preacher. He wanted to help all the young guys in the 'hood, try to keep them out of gangs so they didn't end up in jail or worse. So, he opened this Youth Outreach Ministry. It's this big garage and he let us kids come in and he taught us about cars, how to fix them, soup 'em up, paint them, everything. That's where I made my knife, too. But Big Jay didn't just let us work on cars and make stuff. He also made us sit and listen to him preach." Jackson paused, reached over and took a long drink of water. He couldn't remember ever talking so much. Melissa's warm body curled up against his, her fingers gently massaging his own was so comforting that he found it easy to tell her his deepest secrets. He offered water to Melissa. "You okay? Comfortable? You sure you want me to go on?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Please, continue." The warmth of Jackson's body was easing the pain of her bruises. She was so wrapped up in his story, her head had stopped throbbing. She was wide awake.

"So anyway, listening to Big Jay preach wasn't like sitting in a big, fancy church or one of those guys on TV. It wasn't fake or boring. It was, you know, _real_. He taught us the lessons of the Bible but he applied them to stories about his life: growing up in the 'hood, his gang days, prison time. It didn't seem like we were really learning anything. It took me awhile, but I realized that I did believe in God and I needed Him in my life. So, after a year, Big Jay baptized me and some other guys right there in the garage. He gave us each a Bible. That was the best present I ever got. But at my school, in my 'hood it wasn't you know, _cool_ to be a Bible thumper. You could get beat up for that. I tried to share this amazing thing with my mom when I'd get to see her but she was so into drugs and alcohol at that point that she just laughed at me. That really hurt." Melissa squeezed his hand. She gently wiped away the solitary tear that was falling down his cheek. "So I kept my beliefs and feelings to myself. I guess that's why I still feel that everything in my head is secret, not to be shared with anyone. It's the only place I have any true privacy and control." He exhaled loudly. "Wow, I haven't bored you to tears yet?" Melissa slowly sat up, looked him in the eye and shook her head. "I haven't scared you?" She gave him a small smile and shook her head again.

"So when are you going to tell me about this?" she asked, reaching out to touch his cross.

Jackson shifted his position a little, drank some more water then pulled Melissa back against him. She settled in comfortably. He was amazed at how well they fit together. _This feels so right. She smells so good. _He told her about being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being removed across town to Elaine Berkhalter's foster home and Hartwell. Sharing a room with little Davion and Tre. Never having any privacy. Not being allowed to see Big Jay. "I finally got Elaine to trust me enough that she'd let me go to the library every afternoon and most weekends."

"Let me guess, you weren't at the library, you were at Big Jay's," Melissa said.

"Yeah. He didn't know I was lying to come see him or he would've knocked me upside the head. He started teaching me how to work with metal. This," he tugged on his cross, "was the first thing we made together. He has one just like it. He's the only real father figure I've ever known. Then there was that trouble just before we left for Palau." Jackson explained the full story of the night before they left. "At least I know Big Jay's alright. He was gonna make sure the charges against me were dropped."

Melissa stared up into Jackson's blue, blue eyes. She closed her hand over his cross. "So, _this_ is like a symbol that represents who and what and why you're...you," she said quietly. "It's like your touchstone. It's the pain from your past, the struggles from your present, your beliefs and the hope for your future all rolled into one. It's what keeps you...true. It's _you,_" she said simply. Then she gave him one of her incredible smiles. "You're an amazing person, Jackson. You truly are."

He couldn't believe it. Melissa's eyes were shining with admiration, not pity or mistrust nor disgust. She had seen to the very core of his soul and _she's not afraid. She accepts me completely. She thinks I'm an amazing person!_ Jackson felt a single tear trace down his cheek. He'd never felt this way with anyone before. No one had ever 'got' him so completely. She understood exactly what his necklace meant to him. He pulled her close and kissed her longer and deeper than he had ever kissed anyone. There was no urgency or heat to his kiss, it was much deeper than that. It was comfort and relief and _joy_. And so much _more..._

Melissa kissed him back and felt his body communicating all his emotions to her. No heat. No groping passion. Just solace and gentleness and relief and something _more.._. She was overcome with a feeling of utter _joy_. A few minutes later they pulled apart and just sat there holding each other tenderly.

The fire had died down considerably so Jackson reluctantly untangled himself and slowly stood up. He stretched then added more wood to the fire until it was blazing again. He held out his hand and Melissa accepted his help standing. She carefully started to stretch and promptly stopped. _Ow! I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow, I mean today. _"What time is it, anyway?"

Jackson glanced at his watch. "3:30. I need to uh, _go_."

"Me too. I'll see you back here in a few?"

"Try to keep me away." With that Jackson walked in the opposite direction from her.

They rendezvoused in less than ten minutes. Jackson gave Melissa more aspirin. _It's been more than eight hours since her last dose, she has to be hurting,_ he thought. Melissa gratefully accepted the pills then they settled back down in front of the fire.

"Okay, Mel. You know everything about me. It's your turn," Jackson said encircling her in his arms again and resting his chin on her head. _There's that amazing scent again…_

"My life is pretty _boring_ compared to _yours_," she said with a smile. "I mean, I was never in a gang unless you count the candystripers at the hospital. We did all wear the same outfit," she said, thoughtfully. "I guess you could call that our 'colors'."

Jackson laughed. "Give."

"Alright, but I'm warning you, we'll be asleep in less than five minutes," she said playfully. Melissa told him about her parents, who were both doctors, decided the day her mom learned she was pregnant, that Melissa would be a doctor, too. How they had pressured her every day since she was born to be a doctor. Her toys and storybooks all revolved around science and medicine. How they picked all of her friends since pre-school. "I think they only ever approved of Nathan as my best friend because his dad's the D.A. for L.A. county." Since middle school they had discussed the best options as far as schools and specialties and on and on. How she had to start volunteering at the hospital on her thirteenth birthday and had been ever since. Melissa told him how her parents picked out all her extracurricular activities since sixth grade based on what would look good on her medical school applications. How she had to go through junior paramedic training instead of joining the art club. "God forbid I should ever disappoint them or not get a perfect grade. Laying guilt trips and giving 'the disappointment speech', they're world class at that," she said ruefully.

"That sounds like a lonely and stressful childhood," Jackson said.

"I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining," Melissa said quickly. "I mean, I had a pretty happy childhood I guess. It was safe. I didn't have to worry about gangs or my mom going to jail or anything serious. And they weren't mean. They meant well, they just never let me make any choices for myself. Or decisions on my own"

"I'm not judging or criticizing your parents or anything," Jackson said carefully. "I'm just saying it sounds lonely and kind of stifling. I mean, everyone should get to choose what they want to do with their life. I may have had a rough time of it but my mom did let me choose my own interests. She really encouraged me in my music until the booze and pills took over." He looked thoughtful. "I never imagined someone from your background would've had a childhood like that."

"Are you pitying me?" she asked.

"No, not at all. That's not what I mean. I just figured all people with money have you know, a perfect life. No problems. No worries. Get whatever they want," he said. "I guess we're not so different."

"Yeah, I guess not. Just in a different way. You know, I had to trick them into this trip planning committee. I made it sound like I had a major leadership role in it so they approved." She sighed heavily. "If they knew anything about the real _me_, they'd know I'm not the leadership type." Melissa stared into the fire.

"I don't agree," Jackson said quietly. "I think you're a good leader, you just need some practice."

"What do you mean? I'm no leader. Never have been. Never will be. I'm just good ol' predictable, boring, people-pleasing Melissa who will do whatever you ask."

"That's not true, Mel. Look how much you've stepped up on this trip. Time and time again. You just lack confidence…"

"I've heard that from all my teachers since I was five," she said rolling her eyes.

"Well, they're right. Think about it. You said your parents made all your decisions for you. You haven't had any practice. Here, now, you have. You just have to hold onto that when we get back and show everyone. You know your own mind and what you want. You're a strong person, Mel. I think the strongest here. Just remember that." He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Melissa smiled. "Thanks, Jackson. No one has ever said anything so nice to me before."

"Well they should have. Now, what is it _you_ want to do with your life?"

Melissa thought for a minute. "You know, I wouldn't _mind _being a doctor. I do like helping people. But I also would love to be a chef or maybe an artist or photographer."

"You are a good artist. Those pictures you drew for everyone at Chilloween were amazing."

"Thanks. Nathan's always told me I was really good but I never believed him."

"There's that confidence thing again," he said. "Believe it, you're _good_. No, you're _great. _Now if I knew about this chef thing, you'd have been doing all the cooking this whole time," he said with a smile.

Melissa gazed at the dancing flames for a few minutes. "I guess what I want to do most, is choose for myself."

"And you should. I'm gonna hold you to that when we get home."

"Yeah, but that's easier said than done. Talking about defying my parents when they're like, seven thousand miles away and doing it to their faces are two totally different things," Melissa said wisely.

"Well, it's like you told me, we're all doing things we'd never do at home. When we get home, I'll be there to hold your hand when you tell them _your_ decision." He gave her hand a squeeze to emphasize his point.

Melissa was touched by his sincerity. No one had ever offered to back her up in front of her parents. She'd never felt closer to anyone in her life. _Well, that settles it, _she thought. _I'm so madly in love with this boy now that I can't stand it. And he still might pick Taylor. If that happens…Don't think about it…Just… _Melissa pulled Jackson's mouth to hers and kissed him as deeply as he had kissed her before.

'_Joy' _was the feeling that washed over both of them.

They pulled apart and just cuddled watching the fire, Melissa with her fingers wrapped around the little cross at the base of Jackson's throat, his hand wrapped around hers.

--------------------------


	11. Chapter 11

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, don't own, if I did there'd be several more seasons... Ma****y contain background info from the F29D books that I've expanded on. The plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note:**

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

_**Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE used profusely, it is FICTION after all. **

**Remember to SUSPEND DISBELIEF to fully enjoy.**

**--------------------------------**

**They pulled apart and just cuddled watching the fire, Melissa with her fingers wrapped around the little cross at the base of Jackson's throat, ****his hand wrapped around hers.**

**---------------------------**

**Chapter Eleven**

Jackson and Melissa lay companionably in each others' arms. After a while Melissa asked, "So, what time is it?"

Jackson glanced at his watch. "Almost six. Your twenty-four hours are almost up. How do you feel?"

Melissa took stock of her body. "I'm tired and sore, of course. But strangely, I feel exhilarated. I think once I've had some sleep I'll be able to face Abby."

"Well, that's not gonna happen for some time. Eric and I decided we'll rest here today and then tomorrow, if you're up to it, we'll move on."

"Oh, you and Eric decided did you?" she said in mock outrage. "When do I get to have a say?" Melissa attempted to shift away from Jackson and winced. "Oh! Ow! Okay, I think we should rest here today."

"That's what I thought. I'm gonna hit the bushes then climb up to see how Eric fared." Jackson helped Melissa stand up. They both stretched, Jackson languidly, Melissa gingerly.

"If you're ready to sleep, I'll make sure you're settled before I leave."

"I need to hit the bushes first," she said.

"Okay. I'll see you back here in a few." They took off in opposite directions. When Melissa returned, Jackson had arranged her sleeping bag next to the fire. After a quick breakfast of bananas and mangoes, he helped her lay down and covered her. Jackson made sure a full water bottle was within easy reach then said, "Sleep well." He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Thanks, Jackson. Please be careful climbing, you must be exhausted."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Melissa closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.

Jackson smiled at her then stifled a huge yawn. He stood up, grabbed his pack and went to the stream where he stripped off all his clothes and waded into the water. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. The sun was barely up so the water hadn't been warmed yet, it was freezing. He plunged in and submerged himself for half a minute. He finally surfaced, sputtering and wiped the water out of his eyes. He felt surprisingly relaxed despite the water temperature. _I guess confession really is good for the soul. _He quickly washed himself all over then sprinted out, dried himself and dressed in fresh clothes. _That was energizing. I feel almost human again. _Looking at his discarded clothes he thought _I'll wash those later. _He picked up his pack and walked back to the fire. He gave Melissa one last look, she was peacefully sleeping, then he climbed up to see Eric.

When he reached the top of the cliff, Jackson stopped and listened. He could hear Eric snoring. He exhaled the breath he'd been holding. He slowly approached the dead fire and looked at the tree nearest it. Abby was still tied to it, her head lolling to the side, sleeping. Jackson used a stick to stir the ashes and found some live embers. He added some kindling and patiently coaxed the fire to life again. He added some wood then gently shook Eric awake.

Eric stretched and let go of an enormous yawn. He saw Jackson hovering above him with his finger to his lips. "'Sup, chief?" he whispered. Jackson motioned for Eric to follow him to the stream. Eric sat up, grabbed his hat, stuck his feet in his boots and followed.

"So, any problems last night?" Jackson asked.

"Nope, none. Abby didn't make a peep. How's Melissa?"

"She's really sore but she's sleeping now."

Did you guys have any trouble staying awake?"

"Nah, no trouble. Melissa said after some rest she'd be ready to face Abby but I don't know if _I'm_ ready for that."

"I know what you mean. Man, what are we gonna do with her when we're ready to move on?"

"I don't know. I haven't figured that one out yet. Hey, you wanna go get cleaned up? I'll wake up Abby and do her morning stuff then I'm gonna go back down and get some sleep myself."

"Cool."

"Will you be okay all day while we're sleeping?"

"Yeah. I thought I'd boil more water, look for some fruit and maybe try my hand at fishing. Then take a nap, of course," Eric said with a smile.

Jackson smiled back, shaking his head slightly. "Was it only a few weeks ago you would have answered that question in reverse? Who are you and what have you done with Eric?"

Eric nodded sagely, "We've all had to grow up, chief." He trotted away toward the trees.

Jackson put on his gang face then walked over and nudged Abby with his foot. Her eyes jerked open. He untied her feet then untied her from the tree. Leaving her hands tied, he fastened a long vine around her waist then pulled her roughly to her feet. They marched in the opposite direction of the stream. Abby entered a clump of bushes then emerged a few minutes later. They went back to the fire and Eric was there so Jackson took Abby to the stream and let her wash her face and hands. The bruise on her chin from what must have been Melissa's boot looked swollen and painful. _Good, _Jackson thought.

When Abby was done he took her to the tree nearer the stream from the day before and tied her to it. He re-tied her feet then before removing her gag he said, "One word and it goes right back on, no food or water today, got it?"

Abby glared at him for thirty seconds then dropped her eyes and nodded. Jackson removed the gag and handed her a water bottle. She drank greedily. He put two bananas and a mango in her lap. She snatched them up like she was a starving animal and devoured them, barely bothering to chew. Jackson watched her without flinching. "Do you want more?" he asked. Abby meekly nodded and said very softly, "Yes, please." Jackson didn't buy the meek act, he'd seen her eyes. He dropped a papaya and more bananas in her lap. "Thank you," came the whispered response. She wolfed them down, juice dripping down her chin. Abby grabbed her water and drank half the bottle. When she was done, Jackson gagged her. He had a brief conversation with Eric who promised to yell if he needed help then he went back to Melissa. The stress of finding Melissa on the cliff, worrying about her injuries, dealing with Abby and sitting up all night was catching up fast with Jackson despite his earlier energizing 'bath'. He lay down in his sleeping bag with his head near Melissa's, reached out, grabbed her arm and was out.

Melissa woke up several hours later. She heard Jackson lightly snoring near her head and smiled. She felt his warm, roughened hand on her arm. She gently picked it up and replaced it by his side. She slowly sat up_. Oh man, I am so sore! You'd think I fell off a cliff or something. Oh yeah, I did! _She smirked. She looked over at Jackson. _Poor baby, he looks absolutely exhausted. And so cute! _She started feeling warm. _No, _she thought. _Despite last night, he still might pick Taylor. He still might pick Taylor. _Melissa sighed, slowly stood up and attempted to stretch. _Ow! Okay, no more stretching. _She quietly put her boots in her pack, picked up her crutch and silently made her way to the stream. On the way she picked some more aloe and those flowers that smelled so good. _I'm gonna have to find out what these are called when I get back home, _she thought.

She arrived at the stream and dropped her pack. She saw Jackson's discarded clothes lying there. She picked up his shirt and buried her face in it. His masculine scent filled her nostrils. _Mmmm. I want to go crawl in his sleeping bag right now, bruises and all! Easy, Mel. He might still pick Taylor. He might still __pick Taylor. _Melissa sighed and let Jackson's shirt fall to the ground. _How could he pick Taylor after all we shared last night? Because I'm Melissa and I never get the guy..._

She looked around and listened intently to make sure she was still alone. When she was sure, she quickly stripped down completely and entered the water for her first proper bath on the island. She waded out to the sunny middle of the stream. The water was cool and refreshing. It felt really freeing to be naked in a stream in the middle of a jungle on a beautiful tropical island. Melissa's words to Jackson came back to her, 'We're all doing things we'd never do at home'. _No kidding! I would never skinny dip back home! _She submerged herself then surfaced to float on her back for awhile. Her soreness was melting away. Melissa thought about the previous night. _I've never felt closer to anyone in my life. _She smiled and sighed deeply. Melissa suddenly remembered that Jackson could wake up any time and find her like this. _So? _She smiled._ Yeah, right. _Then she remembered that Eric could show up. _Oops. _She gained her feet and looked around quickly. No one. _Whew. _She got down to business and bathed herself gently all over. She couldn't believe how many bruises she had. _Better that than broken bones _she reminded herself then said a quick prayer of thanks. She was more black, blue and purple than anything. _Lovely! I must be so attractive right now. I don't even want to think about what my face looks like. _Melissa put the aloe in her hair then rinsed it out. She climbed out, toweled off and put aloe all over. She felt so carefree and bold standing there naked for anyone who walked by to see. Definitely, very _un_-Melissa like._ Is this what almost dying does to you?_ She felt daring and fearless. She threw her hands in the air and turned in a slow circle enjoying the feel of the sun and the fresh air on her whole body. She smiled to herself as she imagined what Daley and her other friends would say if they could see her now. _What would Jackson say? _She smiled at the thought of Jackson happening upon her at this particular moment. _Would he be shocked or amused at my boldness? Or both? _She felt her desire making her warm. _He might still pick Taylor. He might still pick Taylor. _She sighed and came back to reality.

After Melissa put on fresh clothes, she decided to do her and Jackson's laundry. She took one last whiff of his shirt before she submerged it with their other clothes in the stream and started scrubbing. She soon finished and shouldered her pack, picked up the wet clothes and crutched her way back to the fire. _Good, Jackson is still asleep. _Melissa hung up their clothes to dry and ate a papaya. She was still tired and ready to go to sleep but she started thinking about facing Abby. _What am I gonna do? What am I gonna say? _She lay down on top of her sleeping bag and closed her eyes. All the things Jackson said to her that morning came back to the front of her mind. She smiled, reached out and put her hand on Jackson's shoulder. His hand instinctively reached out and covered hers. Melissa sighed and fell asleep.

Jackson woke up an hour later feeling pretty good for having had so little sleep. Melissa's hand was on his shoulder, he was clasping it. He smiled, lifted it off and kissed the palm before placing it next to her face. _She smells so heavenly! _Jackson noticed she'd changed her clothes and was on top of her sleeping bag. _Good, that means she woke up so the danger really is past. _He sighed softly, sat up and rubbed his eyes. He put his boots on then noticed their clothes hanging on a nearby branch. _Mel must've taken a bath and washed our clothes. _He smiled at the thought of Melissa naked in the stream just a few dozen yards from him. _Down, boy! _he thought as he felt something stirring. _Abby. Abby. _That did it. _I guess I should go check on Eric. _

Jackson decided to eat something first. He sat on the log eating fruit and watching Melissa sleep. _I still can't believe I told her my whole life story. I've never told anyone the _whole_ story, not even Big Jay! I've never felt closer to anyone. _He fingered his necklace as he remembered Melissa's simple explanation of it. _She is the most wonderful person I've ever met and she deserves someone so much better than me! But she thinks I'm a good person. Too bad _I_ don't believe it. But _she_ does. _

_And she knows everything about you now and it didn't scare her away _a small voice said in the very back of his mind. Jackson smiled then went to see Eric.

"Hey chief, you look better," Eric greeted Jackson. "I hope you brought your empties up."

"Yeah, here. I brought you some papayas, too. How's everything?"

"Good, good. Take a look over there," he said pointing to something next to the fire.

"Wow! You're pretty handy with those hooks! I may have to turn that job over to you," Jackson said looking at the pile of fish Eric had caught, cleaned and cooked. "How many are there? Fourteen?"

"Yup. It appears I have mad skills with a hook. I thought we could dry some to take with us. Only problem, I'm not sure how to do it," he said looking a little sheepish. "Hey, how's Melissa?"

"She's fine. She washed up and she's sleeping again. Other than her cuts and bruises she looks better. How's Abby?"

"She's gotten quiet and is trying to act all meek and sorry but if you look in her eyes, she's still plotting 'island domination'. Speaking of washing up, she sure could use one. She's getting ripe! What should we do about that?"

"Crap, I don't know. Let's wait on that one. Let me show you how to dry the fish then I'll take her to the bushes. After that we'll worry about Abby's hygiene." Jackson showed Eric how to dry the fish, then put on his gang face and walked to the stream where Abby was tied up. He untied her feet and released her from the tree. He walked her on the long vine to the bushes then back to the stream. _This is like walking a dog_. _Jackson, that is _so_ wrong on so many levels _he thought, smiling a little to himself and shaking his head.

Abby apparently was sick of her stench as well. She kicked off her shoes and socks then walked right into the stream and picked up a handful of sand and started washing everywhere she could reach with her tied hands. She rinsed herself off then came out. After maneuvering her feet into her shoes, she clomped back to her tree. Jackson took some pity on her and moved her to a tree that was near the fire in full sun. He then re-tied her feet and removed her gag after giving her the same order. He gave Abby some fish, fruit and water and appeared to ignore her while she once again wolfed down her food like an animal. But he was watching every move and facial expression. She was shooting daggers at both boys when she thought they weren't looking.

Jackson took half the fish and full water bottles from Eric and they had a whispered conversation by the cliff then he returned to Melissa.

Jackson put the water bottles down next to the fire then stoked it. He took out the fish and unwrapped them, found a stick and threaded them on it to reheat over the fire. The smell of fish brought Melissa around. She carefully sat up and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Hey," Jackson said. "You hungry?"

"You bet I am. Did you catch those?" she asked.

"Nope. Believe it or not, Eric is showing real talent with a fish hook." Jackson divided up the fish, cut a mango up and handed half to Melissa. He sat down on the log next to her and no conversation was needed for the next several minutes.

"Oh, that tastes so good!" Melissa sighed. "I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"How are you feeling?" Jackson asked, watching her carefully.

"Not bad. I'm still sore but my headache isn't as bad anymore. I'll definitely be able to travel tomorrow." Melissa stared at the fire while she finished her meal. She looked at Jackson who was still watching her. "So, that was some night."

"Yeah, it was."

"Um...how do you feel about it?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"You know, telling me all that stuff about your past. Are you gonna feel I don't know, _weird_ around me now?" she asked, shifting her gaze to the fire. Melissa was a little afraid to hear his answer.

Jackson looked thoughtful for a moment. He reached over, hooked a finger under her chin and lifted it until she was looking at him. "No. There's no one else I wanted to tell. Why? Are you gonna feel weird around me?"

Melissa looked at him with one of her incredible smiles. "No. I'm really glad you trusted me enough to tell me everything."

"Um, Melissa..."

She knew what was coming next and she saved him the trouble of saying it. She didn't want to hear the words from his lips anyway. "It's okay, Jackson. I know you're still confused and there are more important things to think about right now. I'm not gonna expect anything or pressure you." Melissa stood up and pulled Jackson with her. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, ignoring her protesting, bruised body. Jackson carefully returned her hug, afraid he'd hurt her. They stood there for a moment reveling in the solace of each other's arms. Their physical contact now was different from before. There was no desperate need to prove anything. It was safe and comforting and so much _more. _

Melissa finally pulled back and let out a sigh. "Well, I guess I can't avoid it any longer…it's time I faced Abby." She took a few deep breaths then looked at Jackson. "I think I'd like to climb up and face her there, where it happened."

"You sure you can climb?"

"Yeah, it's not that far and the more I move around, the less it hurts. B-but I still want to sleep down here tonight. Could...could we leave her up there one more night and just have them meet us in the morning?"

Jackson noted the uncertainty in her voice. _She's trying to be so brave but she's still scared. Damn you, Abby, for making her feel that way! _"Yeah. I'm sure Eric won't mind." Jackson studied her for a minute as she continued to gaze into the fire. "Do you know what you're gonna say to her?"

Melissa shrugged. "Not sure. I have an idea but who knows what's gonna come out of her mouth. I guess I'll just play it by ear." With that Melissa exhaled loudly, stood up and slowly walked over to the rock face. Jackson followed her and carefully they made their way up to where Abby sat, waiting.

They reached the plateau and Melissa looked around. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she recognized the patch of ground where she had slipped on the mud and fell. She felt her stomach coming up as she remembered that feeling of flailing out into nothingness. Melissa swayed a little as she closed her eyes, swallowed hard several times and deliberately slowed her breathing. Jackson quickly stepped forward and caught her by the elbow to steady her. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's do this," she replied. Melissa opened her eyes then took one final deep breath before she walked toward the fire and Abby. Jackson put on his gang face and followed Melissa.

Abby looked up in surprise when she saw Melissa approaching. Melissa's face and arms, every exposed part of her skin, was covered in scrapes, scratches and bruises. She had a big blackish-purple bump on her forehead. Melissa avoided looking at Abby instead going over to talk to Eric. Jackson untied Abby and took her to the bushes to relieve herself. He then took her to the stream to wash her face. He removed her gag, looked her in the eye and told her in a low and menacing voice that if she behaved, the gag would stay off. Abby meekly nodded, not meeting his eyes. Jackson brought Abby back to the fire. He went to tie her to the tree when Melissa stopped him.

"No, Jackson. Just let her sit here by the fire."

Jackson looked at Melissa then Eric. Eric's eyes opened in surprise. He looked at Jackson and just shrugged. "Alright, but I'm gonna keep her hands and feet tied." Jackson led Abby to the fire and re-tied her feet after she sat down. Jackson moved over near Melissa and Eric and the three held a brief, whispered conversation. Jackson and Eric walked off toward the stream, both looking over their shoulders afraid Abby would try something. Melissa walked over and sat several feet away from Abby.

Abby raised her eyes and finally met Melissa's for the first time in almost forty-eight hours. "Thanks for asking Jackson not to tie me to the tree," she said in a small voice. Abby stared down at her bound hands lying limply in her lap.

"You're welcome." Melissa didn't know what to say next. She wasn't sure how to start. She studied Abby for a few minutes trying to collect her thoughts. _I thought I knew what to say to her, but now, I'm not sure. She looks so helpless. _Finally, "Why, Abby?" It came out barely above a whisper. Abby looked at Melissa questioningly. Melissa cleared her throat and tried again, "Why, Abby?" Stronger this time.

It was Abby's turn to stare at Melissa. Her expression revealed nothing. "Why what?" she croaked.

"Why did you try to hurt me? What did I ever do to make you want to...to _kill _me?" She had trouble saying the word. Melissa felt a mixture of hurt, anger, fear, pity, hate, revulsion and confusion bubbling up inside of her. She focused on controlling her breathing. _Be strong, Melissa. You can do this. Don't let her off the hook. Stay calm._ Melissa's eyes bored into Abby.

Abby's body language showed defeat. She sat there slumped over. Beaten. Weary. "I had to, you were holding us back," she said in a low voice. Abby took a deep breath, sat up straight and looked up at Melissa. She said in a much stronger voice, "You were a threat to my survival. I couldn't have that. The strong survive, the weak don't. You were weak."

Melissa's eyes widened in shock. She took a deep breath and looked Abby full in the face. She was getting angry now. Her anger helped her find her words. "How was I holding you back? It's your fault that I got hurt in the first place, remember? So I slowed us down one day. _One day,_ Abby. I was no threat to you or the group. Who's slowing us down now? _You _are the one who pushed me causing the first injury. _You _are the one who let go of me when we were climbing. _You _are the one who pushed me down the ravine. _You _are the one who pushed me off the cliff. The way we…" she gestured in the direction of Eric and Jackson, "…see it, _You _are the only one holding us back. _You_ are the only threat to our survival. Look at yourself, who's the weak one now? Who is bound and gagged and dependent on us for food, water, going to the bathroom, everything?"

The crazy gleam was back in Abby's eyes. She lifted her chin in defiance and stared boldly back at Melissa. Abby started shaking her head and laughing. It was that maniacal laugh that sounded so scary. And so wrong. "Why? Why? I'll tell you why!" she screeched. "You're weak. I've already proven I'm strong. I survived on my own, twice! I'd like to see any of you do that!"

"But," Melissa started.

"Don't you get it?" Abby interrupted. "You all still think this is fun and games! It isn't a beach resort! It isn't some freakin' romance novel! It's survival! We could _die_. I almost did. More than once. And Ian, Jory and Captain Russell could be…." her voice trailed off. "I almost died while you all sat around pretending this was some fancy club, celebrating holidays, having parties, listening to music, taking warm showers, trying to make this like home..." She glared at Melissa and said, "The others are still back there playing house! Building shelters and voting and keeping a chicken for a pet and dating for god's sake! Teamwork! HA! 'There's no I in team'. That's the crap they teach you in school that doesn't apply to the real world! That's no way to survive! They're all weak! What they don't tell you is that while there may be no 'I' in team there's an 'M-E'. That's what they should be teaching! When I was alone in the jungle, the only person I had to rely on was ME! The only person keeping me from starving and dehydration was ME! The only person keeping me warm at night was ME! This is the real world and ME is the only person that matters. You look out for number one and don't worry about the rest. The strong survive, the weak don't! How many times do I have to tell you?!" Abby shook her head and spat on the ground. "They're all gonna die!" She looked at Melissa again and said, "You just have no freakin' clue."

Melissa had sat quietly through this whole tirade taking in every word. She wrinkled her forehead in concentration searching for the right words before she replied. "You're wrong, Abby. You have no idea what we went through. We…"

"Oh, please!" Abby spat. "What was so.."

"Let me finish!" Melissa yelled, cutting Abby off. Abby's mouth shut involuntarily. She had never heard Melissa _Melissa?!?_ yell like that before.

Melissa stood up and looked down at Abby. "We have been on this island as long as you have. You have no idea what we've experienced. Eric almost _died. _Jackson almost _died. _Taylor and I fell off a cliff, we could have died. Nathan and Lex were almost _fried by lightning_. Nathan and Daley almost _drowned. _You have no right to talk to any of us like little school children. Give us some credit! Yeah, we were luckier than you and Jory and Ian and Captain Russell. We had shelter from the storms. We had more resources. But that was a choice _you_ made. _You_ decided to leave, _twice_." She took a deep breath as she let that sink in a little. "You called our camp a _resort_ but we worked hard for everything we had. So what if we tried to make it more like home?!? More comfortable. More _civilized._ You once told me 'you can't make civilization in a jungle'. The whole world started out as a jungle. Then, people worked together to make things easier, better, more comfortable, and boom, civilization. That's what we did. Do you have any idea how much work it took to drag the plane up from the beach?! Or find a water source?! Or search for food?! Or build the shelter?!" Melissa was breathing fast and her voice had gotten louder and louder.

Jackson and Eric had been listening to the whole exchange. Neither girl noticed them.

"You aren't the only one who's suffered," she said. "But we didn't turn into cutthroat animals. We didn't try to become stronger by killing the weak and moving on. We helped and shared, and took care of each other and leaned on each other. We realized how important it was to work together, help each other, take care of each other. _Together._ And because of that, we were doing well! We were succeeding! And there's nothing wrong with that! You have no right to blame us or call us names or belittle what we've accomplished because we were successful and you weren't!"

Melissa paused to steady her breathing. She was glaring hard at Abby.

Abby was staring at Melissa with a mixture of disbelief and a little respect. Eric and Jackson were surprised as well. Melissa had never said so much at one time…Eric had known Melissa for years and she'd never been so assertive or yelled like that.

Melissa took another deep breath and continued, "We've told you before, we're sorry you had such a hard time but that was _your_ choice, not ours. The second time you came back we tried to tell you and show you how important it was to work together and help each other, that we were stronger _together_ but you wouldn't listen. Like now. Tell me, Abby. What has your 'only the strong survive' mentality gotten you? Technically you're a criminal, no one trusts you, you're tied up, and we could just leave you here all alone, again," Melissa said.

Abby seemed to become smaller and smaller during Melissa's speech. The maniacal gleam in her eyes faded.

Eric walked up beside Melissa and put his arm around her shoulders. "She's right, Abby," he said. "I see that now. I was so sick of all the work and I just wanted to get home so I listened to your line of BS. I thought, Finally! Someone who's willing to take action! Great! But you took it too far. The only way we can survive is to help each other and stick together. _Not_ leave the weak behind," he said. "If we played by your rules you'd already be dead."

Abby looked up at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"Remember, that day you wouldn't stop for anything? You weren't drinking your water. Heat exhaustion. Ring a bell?" Eric asked. "By your rules, you were sick and _weak_, we should have just taken your pack and left you to die on the beach. But we didn't. We stopped and together we took care of you until you were better. Because we're a family and families take care of each other. And we're stronger _together_," he finished.

Jackson walked to the other side of Melissa and put his arm around her, too. "What do you say, Abby?" he asked. "Do you want us to leave you here alone or are you ready to do it our way?"

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**Well dear readers, I believe this to be the penultimate chapter of this particular little story.**

**Reviews are gratefully accepted and appreciated.**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, may contain some facts from the F29D books that I've expanded on. Plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note****: This story was completed pre- 'Hotel Tango' a.k.a. 'Flight 29 Down: The Movie'. No spoilers. Any similarities is purely coincidental. **

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

_**Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE used profusely, it is FICTION after all. **

**Remember to SUSPEND DISBELIEF to fully enjoy.**

**I know I said Chapter Eleven was the penultimate chapter but I didn't think you wanted to read a 13,000+ word chapter so I divided it up. Chapters Twelve, Thirteen and Fourteen were supposed to be posted before the premiere of the movie but unfortunately, real life has a way of intervening... **

**---------------------------------------**

"**Remember, that day you wouldn't stop for anything? You weren't drinking your water. Heat exhaustion. Ring a bell?" Eric asked. "By your rules, we should have just taken your pack and left you to die on the beach and kept going ourselves," he finished.**

**Jackson walked to the other side of Melissa and put his arm around her, too. "What do you say, Abby?" he asked. "Do you want to be alone again or are you ready to do it our way?"**

**--------------**

**Chapter Twelve**

Abby's head dropped to her chest. Melissa, Jackson and Eric stood there watching her, waiting. Finally, Abby raised her head and looked up at all of them. Her eyes were now dull and lifeless. She looked defeated and vacant. She just stared at them.

"We're going to keep you tied up for now, you understand?" Jackson said. She slowly focused her gaze on him then shifted it to Melissa and nodded.

Eric went to collect more wood for the night while Jackson took Abby to the bushes one more time. When she was done he tied her to the tree near the fire and covered her with her sleeping bag.

Melissa and Jackson bade Eric good night then slowly made their way back down to their own camp.

Jackson collected more wood while Melissa packed up everything but their sleeping bags. They didn't say anything, they didn't need to. It was a comfortable silence. There was still some daylight left so Melissa went to the stream to wash up. She returned and sat, staring into the fire.

Jackson was watching Melissa. He finally spoke. "That was some speech." Melissa looked at him then quickly at the ground, blushing.

"Well...um...I...it just kind of came out. I was so tired of her putting everything we did down, thinking we've been having fun this whole time and she's the only one who has been through stuff. We've all suffered. I'd just had enough." She smiled a little. "And the fact that she tried to kill me kind of pushed me over the edge, so to speak." They both chuckled a little.

"Well, she needed to hear it," Jackson said.

Melissa suddenly looked troubled. "Yeah, but did you see her at the end? Did I push her completely over the edge?"

"No, I think Abby was pushed over the edge long before she came back to the plane the second time."

"But she looked so...so..._broken..._after I yelled at her."

"Melissa, look at me." She raised her eyes to his. "Abby has some serious problems that have nothing to do with you. Eric and I said some pretty harsh things, too. We're as much to blame as you." Melissa was about to protest but Jackson continued. "I'm not totally convinced she's 'broken'. She's tried to fool us before."

"Yeah, but if she really is...I feel guilty. I mean, she couldn't help it."

"Mel, don't sweat it. It's not your fault. And if she really is _broken_ that means two things. One, she's not dangerous anymore and two, she can start healing now."

"I guess," Melissa said slowly. They sat staring into the fire for another half hour. Melissa noticed it was really dark now. "We should turn in." They settled in by the fire, head to head and fell asleep, Jackson's hand stretched out, touching Melissa.

Eric filtered and boiled water one more time so all of their water bottles would be full in the morning. He was excited about moving on, especially since seeing the north end of the island. _We're almost there! God, I hope we find something. Anything. _Eric was grinning while he did his work. He had thought of a plan for making it to the north shore as fast as possible and he was anxious to discuss it with Jackson and Melissa. _I'm sure they'll agree. It will be easier on all of us. _Eric finished with the water then he packed everything except his sleeping bag. He ate another banana and decided to turn in. He lay down, placed his hat over his face and fell asleep smiling.

_Beep beep beep..._ Jackson slowly opened his eyes. He felt a little disoriented. Something moved under his hand. He raised his head to see Melissa stirring. He gently shook her arm. "Mel, time to get up. We're moving on today, remember?" He reluctantly removed his hand from her arm and sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

Melissa's eyes slowly opened and she let out a big yawn. She slowly sat up, feeling every bump and bruise. Her whole body was sore but she didn't want to sit around another day so she covered her pain by yawning again. Jackson was standing over her extending a hand. He helped her stand and she attempted to stretch.

"Oh, ow!" Melissa said as she quickly lowered her arms.

"You sure you're okay to travel?" Jackson asked. A look of concern crossed his features.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm just a little stiff from sleeping. Once I start moving around, I'll loosen up."

She smiled at him. "Anyway, now that we're this close to the north shore, I just want to hurry up and get there to see if...there's anything or anyone." Jackson returned her smile and nodded. They ate some fruit and rolled up their sleeping bags.

They both hit the bushes one last time then Jackson left to get Abby and Eric. Melissa went to the stream and washed her face. She came back and sat down against the log, planning to catch a few more winks before the others came back but her mind had other plans. She couldn't stop thinking about what they might find _or not find _when they finally reached their goal. _What if there's nothing...and no one? What will we do? Will we continue searching...or stay there...or go back to the plane? How are we gonna travel with Abby? Will we be rescued or will we be here till we die? _Melissa's chin finally dropped to her chest and she fell into a fitful half-sleep, full of weird snippets of dreams that made no sense and she'd never remember upon waking.

Jackson approached Eric's campsite. Both he and Abby were still asleep. Jackson nudged him with his foot. "Eric, wake up. Time to get going."

Eric groaned and rolled over. He yawned loudly then slowly opened his eyes. "Wha? Huh? Oh, okay, chief," he said, finally recognizing Jackson. Eric sat up rubbing his eyes. He stood and let out a loud noise as he stretched. "I'm gonna hit the little boy's room, you need me to do anything?" he asked.

"No, I'll just get Abby up and get her ready. You have enough fruit for breakfast?"

"Yeah, there's some bananas and a few papayas. The water bottles are all filled so we're good to go."

"Okay, then. As soon as you guys eat and finish packing we can get going."

"Chief, have you figured out how we're gonna do this climbing thing with Abby?"

"Not really but we're gonna have to make it work. I'll have to untie her hands and feet of course, so I thought I'd tie her to a long vine and tie the other end around my waist. That way she should be able to climb pretty easily but I can still control her. I was thinking I'd go first with her and you and Melissa could bring up the rear."

"Do you think it's wise to tie her to you? What if she jumps or falls on purpose and takes you with her?"

"I hadn't really thought of that." Jackson looked thoughtful for a minute. "Do you have a better idea?" Eric shook his head and shrugged. "Well, we're going down anyway and the incline isn't so steep on this side so, I think I'll be alright. We're not that far from the bottom, I figure by early afternoon we should reach the jungle floor."

"Have you thought about which way to go once we do reach the floor?"

"Not really. I've been focused on keeping Abby tied up and Melissa safe. Why? Do you have an idea?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. When we were on the summit, I took a good look around. I think it would be best if we head northwest and get back to the beach. I noticed the stream meanders that way so water shouldn't be a problem and it will be easier to walk on open beach for both Melissa and Abby. We'll make better time than going straight through the jungle."

Jackson looked at Eric with new respect. "Wow Eric, I'm impressed." Eric looked at him skeptically. "Seriously. I didn't even think to look which way the stream went. You probably just saved us a lot of grief." Jackson clapped Eric on the back and moved toward Abby. "Let's get this party started." He walked over and shook Abby awake. He untied her feet, secured her to the vine and took her to the bushes then the stream. He brought Abby back to the fire and took off her gag. He gave her fruit while Eric rolled up her sleeping bag and put it in her pack. "If you behave, you won't have to wear the gag anymore, understand?" he asked her softly. Abby slowly dragged her eyes up to look Jackson in the face. She nodded.

Abby had been quiet the whole time. She seemed to be in a trance. Her eyes were still vacant. The fight had gone out of her._ I guess threatening to leave her behind did the trick _Eric thought.

Jackson made sure the fire was out and everything was packed up. He tied the long vine from Abby to himself. Abby and Eric put on their packs and went to the cliff edge. Jackson started down first followed by Abby. Eric watched them carefully, looking for any sign of Abby trying something. It was a little awkward for Jackson, waiting for Abby to catch up before he could continue. He arrived at the bottom and waited for Abby to reach him. Eric came right after Abby. Jackson untied the vine and handed the end to Eric. He walked over to Melissa and woke her up. She was confused for a moment.

"Mel, you okay?"

"Huh? Um, yeah. I just had a weird dream."

"About what?"

Melissa thought for a minute. "We were back at Hartwell, there was a plane in the gym...um...I don't really remember the rest."

"Abby and Eric are here. Are you ready to go?" Melissa took a drink of water and slowly stood up.

"Yeah. How's this going to work?"

"Abby will be tied to me and we'll go first. You and Eric will follow."

"Are you sure that's safe?"

Jackson lowered his voice to a whisper. "Yeah. I think it'll be fine. The fight seems to have gone out of her. Watch her this morning and tell me what you think later."

"Okay. Let's go then." Jackson helped Melissa put her pack on then he cut another vine. He attached this longer vine to Abby and himself then went to the edge and started down. Abby followed. Eric and Melissa stood waiting until Abby was far enough down. Melissa was holding her breath, watching Eric's face. She couldn't bear to look herself. When he saw Jackson almost to the bottom he nodded slightly and exhaled loudly. Melissa did the same. Eric patted her shoulder. She looked at him and said, "Do you think it's safe for Jackson to be tied to her?"

"I know. I'm a little worried about that, too. But Abby does seem to be...I don't know, _defeated._ We don't have that far to go so hopefully it'll be okay. Well, shall we?" Eric put his hat firmly on his head and started his descent.

Melissa took a deep breath and followed. She didn't tell Eric or Jackson, but approaching the edge made her very nervous. Her stomach heaved each time she approached an edge and she experienced the feeling of falling. She didn't want the boys worrying so she hid it. She closed her eyes for a second. _Come on, Melissa, you can do this! Be strong! _Eric was waiting to help her. They soon dropped down onto level ground next to Abby and Jackson.

"Everyone okay?" Jackson asked. Eric and Melissa nodded. Abby stared into space. "Let's go."

And so it went. They slowly descended this way for the next few hours before taking a break around noon. They sat and ate dried fish and fruit. Melissa soaked her ankle in the stream.

Eric had Abby's vine tied to him to give Jackson a break. He and Melissa were sitting a little apart from the other two. "Hey, how you doing? You feeling alright? We can stop if you need to."

No, I'm fine. I'm more worried about you being tied to Abby."

"Don't worry about that. We're almost to the bottom and she's barely functioning. How's the ankle?"

"It's only swelling a little now. It hurts but nothing to worry about."

"Do you want to leave your crutch behind?"

Melissa thought for a moment. "No, I think when we hit the floor it might be helpful."

"You don't have to be a hero. It's not a big deal if we have to stop."

"No, I want to go. We're so close. I just want this to be over. Whatever happens." Jackson noticed that Melissa had a strange look on her face. He was going to ask her about it but thought better of it.

They all stood up. Jackson tied Abby to him again and they continued slowly down several levels. They took a brief rest then they were on their way again. Abby gave them no problems. Her eyes had taken on a haunted look. She said nothing.

It was mid-afternoon when they finally reached the jungle floor. They headed northwest, following the stream. They found a nice little clearing a few hours later. The low slanting rays of the sun still cast a mellow glow in the jungle. Jackson tied Abby to a tree and secured her hands and feet while Eric gathered firewood and Melissa found some fruit. Jackson lit a small fire then he went to the stream to try and catch some fish. Eric filled the water jugs and Melissa started filtering and boiling it.

Jackson came back a while later with several good-sized fish. After cleaning them they all threaded them on sticks and held them over the fire. "It's like we're having a weenie roast!" Eric said with a smirk. "All we need are the s'mores." Melissa cut up the fruit while Eric divided the fish. Jackson stood up to take Abby some food but Melissa stopped him. She took the food from him. He looked her in the eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

Melissa walked over and knelt down next to Abby. She was just sitting there, staring off into space. Melissa touched her arm gently and Abby slowly turned her face to look at Melissa. There was no fire in her eyes, no defiance. Just a lifeless stare. Melissa placed the food in Abby's lap and a water bottle beside her. Abby slowly lowered her gaze and looked at the fish. "Here you go, Abby. Dinner's ready. Enjoy," Melissa said softly. Abby picked up some fruit absentmindedly and began eating. Gone was the starving animal shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she could. Abby was just eating by rote. Melissa watched her for awhile to see if she was faking it. She didn't think she was. It looked like Abby had finally broken. Melissa stood up and went back to the fire to eat her own food. Eric and Jackson had watched them the whole time. Jackson continued watching Abby covertly. He'd seen her act before and he didn't fully believe she was no longer a danger.

They finished eating and Melissa walked to the stream to soak her ankle. Eric and Jackson soon joined her. They briefly discussed their next move then Eric went back to the fire, gathering wood as he walked. Jackson sat down next to Melissa. "So, Mel, how are you holding up?"

"Fine. Now that we're back on level ground, it's a lot easier."

"How's your head feeling?"

"Okay. It didn't hurt much at all today. How's it look?"

Jackson reached out and gently touched her forehead. "I think the swelling is going down and the color is definitely fading. What about the rest of you?"

"I think all this exercise has helped. I'm all loosened up so there's no stiffness, just some soreness but I barely even notice it anymore. And I like that my skin is like six different colors all at once."

They both chuckled at this. Jackson leaned in closer and said quietly, "So, do you buy Abby's defeated act?"

Melissa looked thoughtful. "I want to. I really do. But there's a part of me that doesn't think I'll ever trust her again. And I _hate_ feeling that way." Melissa looked at Jackson. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. Jackson scooted closer to Melissa and gently wrapped his arms around her. Melissa was such a trusting person and it really hurt her that a friend had tried to harm her, but Jackson realized it probably hurt her sensitive soul even more that she could no longer trust Abby.

Melissa relaxed against Jackson's chest. She hadn't meant to start crying but the tears just came. She wasn't even sure _why_ she was crying. _Here I go again, crying all over Jackson. _A sigh escaped her lips. _His arms feel so good._

_She smells so incredible. _Jackson gently rocked her until her tears subsided. She reluctantly pulled away. Jackson wiped the remnants of her tears off her cheeks. _I hate seeing her this upset. She looks so sweet looking at me with those big, brown eyes. _"Oh Melissa," he whispered. He leaned forward and softly kissed her. She was surprised but she closed her eyes and kissed him back. Their lips finally parted but they sat there awhile just holding each other. Melissa noticed the light was quickly fading.

"Um, we should get back," she said, pulling away.

"Yeah, I guess." Melissa pulled her ankle out of the stream. Jackson pulled it into his lap and dried it off. He leaned over and kissed it sending shivers up Melissa's spine. He then wrapped it and put her sock and boot back on. Jackson stood up and helped Melissa to her feet. They stood there another minute staring into each others' eyes. Jackson leaned down and gave her one last lingering kiss then they made their way back to camp. Eric had left a big stack of wood next to the fire. He was already snoring, hat in place over his face. Jackson untied Abby and took her to the bushes and the stream. When they returned Melissa had pulled out their sleeping bags. Jackson retied Abby to a tree and covered her up.

He walked over to the fire and arranged his sleeping bag so he was head to head with Melissa. "'Night, Mel," he whispered.

"'Night, Jackson." They both reached out and clasped hands then fell asleep.

In the morning they got up, ate, packed up and continued walking northwest. No one said anything. They could all feel the excitement in the air. They were so happy that this trip to the north shore was almost over. Melissa noticed they were all walking faster. Eric was leading the way and Jackson with Abby, was bringing up the rear. At noon they stopped for a quick bite and were on their way again. An hour later they were ready to leave the stream to continue their northwestern trek. Melissa suddenly stopped.

"What's up, Mel?" Jackson asked.

"Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Eric asked walking back to them.

"The salt air. I can taste it, too. We're close to the beach," she said. "We should stop here and fill up all our water bottles so we won't have to come back into the jungle."

"Good idea, Mel. Eric, why don't you start the fire and I'll get the water," Jackson said.

"Fine, chief," Eric said. He dropped his pack and started hunting for wood and tinder. Jackson tied Abby to a nearby tree and made sure she was comfortable. Then he gathered all their empty water jugs and headed to the water. Melissa started searching for fruit. If she could find enough, they might not need to look for food either. Eric came back and soon had a nice little fire going. Jackson brought back the water and helped Eric set up to boil it.

"I think I'm gonna go try my luck fishing one last time," Jackson said.

"Hope you catch enough for us to dry and take with us. Maybe I should fish and you do the water."

"How about you both fish and I'll do the water," Melissa said, returning with a bulging backpack of fruit.

"Sure you don't mind?" Eric asked.

"Not at all. Just go and bring back lots!" she said with a smile.

The boys left to go fish and Melissa spent the next few hours filtering, boiling and filling all their water bottles. Abby took a nap. Jackson and Eric returned after a few hours with a dozen fish. They cleaned and spit them. Eric took over the cooking while Melissa and Jackson walked back to the stream. She sat down and pulled off her right boot and sock. She then unwrapped the Ace bandage and inspected her ankle. It was barely swollen. The purple and blue had faded to mostly greens and yellows now. She plunged it into the cool water. She then pulled off her left boot and sock and stuck that foot in as well. She leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. The air was scented with different kinds of flowers and grasses. Jackson sat watching her. She looked relaxed and happy. He smiled. "So how long do you think before we reach the north shore," she asked, breaking the serenity of the setting.

"I don't know but I think by tomorrow or the next day at the latest. Especially since we'll be on the beach without having to navigate around obstacles, it will go so much faster." They were quiet again for a while.

"Jackson, can I tell you a secret?" Melissa whispered.

"You can tell me anything, Mel, you know that," he replied softly.

"Yeah but this is bad. You might get mad."

"I doubt it. C'mon Mel, what can be so bad?

Melissa took a deep breath and whispered, "I don't want to get rescued."

Jackson was a little shocked but he covered. "Why not?"

"Because for the first time in my life, I'm finally _me_. _Melissa_. _Mel_. I'm saying and doing and feeling what _I_ want to, _not_ what my parents or teachers or friends tell me to or expect me to. I'm _free_. And I like how it feels. I'm not ready to give that up…"

"You won't have to, Mel."

"Yes, I will. I know that the longer I'm back, the more I'll lose _me_. I'll go back to being the 'old Melissa' for the sake of not upsetting my parents or teachers or whoever. But I don't want to be that girl again. I've only just found _me_ and I'm finally, completely happy." Melissa had silent tears running down her face. "Look, I'd never deny or mess up the chance for us to be rescued. Heck, I know I'll go too because I do want to go home. But there's another part of me that wants to stay here forever because I feel that staying here is the only way I'll ever be truly happy."

"Aw, Mel. I do understand. Remember the 'big secret' on my video diary? There's a part of me that wants to stay here, too. It's easier in some ways. No expectations. No gangs. No drugs. No violence. Well, not much," he said cocking his head back toward Abby's direction. "But life is supposed to be a struggle. That's what makes us the people we are, shapes our character, it's how we learn things and grow. You've changed here, we all have and when we get back home, making the 'new' us fit with the 'old' us is gonna be hard, but it will make us all stronger. You just have to have faith in yourself and make your parents and whoever see that this 'new' Melissa is even better."

"I know that's true but I can't help it. This is the happiest I've ever been in my life, even during the bad times, and the only reason is because...even when I struggle here, I'm doing it as _me_. And that makes me happy."

"I'll stand by you Mel, no matter what. I'll be there to remind you to be the real _you_ that you want to be. I'll help you, I promise."

"Jackson, I'm scared."

"Me, too. But we can't stay here forever. You know that, Mel."

"Yeah, I do." She sighed heavily. "Well I guess we should get back so we can move out to the beach." She pulled her feet out of the water and dried them off. She put her socks and boots back on.

"Mel, you didn't wrap your ankle."

"Yeah, it needs a rest to let the blood circulate freely and I'm gonna wash this bandage. It's starting to smell like one of Eric's socks." She quickly scrubbed it then wrung it out. She limped back to camp leaning on Jackson. They arrived and she hung the bandage to dry. The fish was still drying. Melissa and Jackson both took a little nap. They were tossing and turning until Melissa reached out and touched Jackson's arm. They both settled down immediately and dozed off.

Eric couldn't believe it. Everyone was napping but him. He was the only one working. _What's wrong with this picture? Oh, I wish I had the video camera so I could film this and show Daley! _He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. The fish were finished so he removed them from the fire and wrapped them in clean leaves. Eric put out the fire then woke Jackson and Melissa. Melissa re-wrapped her ankle as Eric packed up and Jackson took Abby to the bushes.

They started walking and the air became heavier with the smell and taste of salt. Half an hour later they finally broke out of the jungle onto the beach. They all smiled and stood there enjoying the breeze off the water, the taste of salt on their lips.

"Well let's hit it, troops. We shouldn't have much farther to go," Eric said. He took off at a brisk pace across the sand. Jackson and Melissa looked at each other and smiled. They followed Eric, Jackson pulling Abby along. The sun was starting to descend in the west. Jackson looked at his watch, 6:10.

"Hey guys, we should probably think about making camp now. It'll be dark soon and we can get a fresh start in the morning," Jackson said.

"Oh, chief! Can't we keep going? We have to almost be there. Come on! Let's just go another hour and then stop!" Eric whined.

"Eric, in another hour it will be getting dark. By the time we set up camp, it'll be too dark to find wood or anything else. And stop whining!" Melissa smiled at him then stuck her tongue out. "Besides, my arms are getting tired from this crutch. You know, it was only a few days ago I fell off a cliff..." she said making a pouting face at Eric.

"Okay, okay! I give up! I can't win against the 'I fell off a cliff and almost died' argument'," he said.

They moved closer to the tree line and found a good spot. The sky was still clear so they decided to save time and not put up the tent. Jackson and Eric disappeared into the jungle to find wood and see if the stream was close enough to get more water. Jackson had tied Abby's feet and left her sitting on the beach. Melissa gave her water and tried to talk to her but Abby's eyes were still vacant. _If she's faking it, now would be her chance to do something since we're alone, _Melissa thought.

Eric returned with an armload of wood and started the fire. Jackson came back with a full water jug. "The stream's about a quarter of a mile away. Too far to keep making the trip so this will have to do," he said.

"No problemo. We have dried fish and thanks to Melissa, plenty of fruit for tonight and tomorrow so with this water, I'm guessing we hit the north shore before we run out," Eric said. He took the jug from Jackson and started filtering it.

Jackson untied Abby's feet and took her into the jungle to relieve herself. Melissa helped Eric get the food ready. When they returned, he secured Abby's feet and they all ate in silence, listening to the pound of the surf. When they were done, Melissa excused herself and went into the jungle. She came back and went down to the ocean to wash her hands. She then sat down on the sand and watched the sun's brilliant display as it dipped below the western horizon. She had missed the sunrise and sunset and watching the ocean while they were in the jungle. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _What are we gonna find? Will there be civilization? What about Ian, Jory and Captain Russell? Will they be there? Will rescue be there? _She sighed. _I'm not ready to go home. I'm happy here. Even though Abby kept trying to kill me...I want to stay here. _Melissa felt a small tear escape from her left eye. She quickly swiped it away. Sure, she missed her parents but not their constant pressure to be number one in everything. _But I know they were devastated by the crash and not finding us all this time. _Melissa didn't want to admit it, none of them did, but it had been almost two months and she was sure everyone had stopped looking for them long ago. She'd never heard of a search lasting more than a few weeks, tops. And the fact that they were so far off course. They had probably searched the wrong area, found nothing and gave up, declaring them all dead. That brought more tears to her eyes. For all of their families. She stood up still staring out at the ocean. She took one more deep breath and exhaled slowly, wiped her eyes one last time then turned and went back to the fire.

They settled in for the night, Abby tied to a tree, Melissa and Jackson head to head, holding hands, and Eric, snoring softly with a small smile on his lips.

_Beep beep beep..._Jackson's watch. He opened his eyes. _The beach?_ _Oh, yeah. We're back on the beach and we should reach the north shore today! _He squeezed Melissa's hand. "Wake up, Mel," he whispered. Her hand squeezed back then she withdrew it to stifle a big yawn. They both sat up, looked at each other and smiled. "Hey! Eric! Wake up!" he yelled.

"Five more minutes mom, please?" he said as he turned over and started snoring again.

Jackson and Melissa laughed. Jackson stood up and went over and kicked Eric lightly in the foot. "Hey! I'm not your mom but I suggest you get up now if you know what's good for you!"

"Ow! All right, chief! Man, I thought the violence had stopped!" Eric slowly sat up and stretched.

Melissa had gotten up and walked over to Abby. She gently shook her arm. "Abby, time to wake up!" Abby's eyes slowly opened and focused on Melissa. They were still vacant. No hate. No malice. Melissa almost wished there was hate or anger or _something_ there. It wouldn't be so sad. It would mean Abby wasn't so _damaged._ "Are you hungry? Do you want some fruit?" Abby nodded. Melissa got some fruit from her pack and put it in Abby's lap.

Everyone was up now and eating. Eric kept looking west. He couldn't sit still. If he wasn't pacing, he was drumming on his leg or fidgeting. "Eric! We get the hint! We'll be ready to go soon, just sit down and chill, you're driving me nuts!" Jackson said. Eric looked sheepish.

"I'm gonna hit the bushes," he said walking quickly away into the jungle.

The sun was just starting to come up in the east. Melissa carried her papaya down to the ocean and watched the sunrise. The sky was really beautiful this morning. It was blue and pink and purple. Her favorite kind of sunrise. She sighed happily._ Today is going to be a good _day, she thought. She felt a hand on her shoulder and smiled._ Jackson._ His touch was so familiar to her now.

"That really is beautiful," he said. She flashed back to their conversation on one of their first days on this trek. The sky had been the same colors as now but that had been a sunset. Jackson said he'd never had time to notice things like sunrise or sunset or the beauty around him. That was the first time he'd kissed her. She smiled at the memory. She wanted to ask him if he remembered that too but she knew she couldn't.

"Yeah, it is. I guess we should get going now, eh?" Melissa took one more look then turned back to pack up camp.

Jackson stood there for a minute after she'd left. He was remembering a sunset a few weeks ago that was the same color. Their first kiss. _I wonder if she remembers?_ Jackson sighed and went to back to camp. He untied Abby and took her into the jungle to do her business. By the time they returned, Melissa and Eric had packed all the gear and put out the fire.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here!" Eric said and he started walking quickly up the beach.

Melissa looked at Jackson. "There's no way I can keep up with that pace, with or without my crutch," she said. "If you want to go ahead, don't let me slow you down."

"Don't be silly, Mel. Eric! Hey, Eric!" he yelled. Eric stopped and turned around. "We can't go that fast! Melissa has a crutch, remember? And Abby? Slow it down, we'll get there!"

Eric waved his hand in acknowledgment and stood there waiting for everyone to catch up. "Sorry, guys. I'm just so excited to see if anything is there."

"We all are Eric. But we can't kill ourselves getting there. What are you gonna do if nothing is there?"

Eric looked at Melissa like she was an alien. "Nothing there?" He hadn't even considered that possibility. He couldn't. Like when they were on the mountain summit looking beyond the north shore. He'd believed then and he still did, they'd find help. _I'm charmed. Of course there will be something there. _"No, I _know_ we're gonna find something. No doubt." He turned his back on her and her crazy idea of finding nothing and started walking, this time at a slightly slower pace.

Melissa and Jackson exchanged looks again and started after him. They walked in silence for a few hours and took a break. Eric was so restless he didn't even sit down. He was driving them all crazy, Abby even seemed to show a little annoyance at his constant pacing. They were soon on their way again. Only Eric's stomach stopped him around noon. One thing Eric couldn't pass up was a meal. They finished the dried fish and ate some fruit then set off again. Eric was once again way out ahead of the rest.

Melissa suddenly stopped and sniffed. "Do you smell that?" she asked.

Jackson sniffed the air. "Smell what? I don't smell anything."

"It smells like a fire," she said.

"I think you're just smelling our fire on your clothes," Jackson said.

"No, I don't think so. This smells...new, fresh, burning now," Melissa said.

Jackson sniffed the air again. "I still don't smell it. Maybe it's wishful thinking?"

Eric was so far ahead. He felt as if something were pulling him toward the north shore. He was practically running. He rounded a bend in the beach and stopped short. Is that a...?

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**Please read and review. **

**Only two more chapters...**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, may contain some facts from the F29D books that I've expanded on. Plot is all mine**

**Author's Note****: Written pre- Hotel Tango so no spoilers. Any similarities are coincidental.**

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

_**Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE used profusely, it is FICTION after all. **

**Remember to SUSPEND DISBELIEF to fully enjoy.**

**This_ is_ the penultimate chapter.**

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**Melissa suddenly stopped and sniffed. "Do you smell that?" she asked.**

**Jackson sniffed the air. "Smell what? I don't smell anything."**

"**It smells like a fire," she said.**

"**I think you're just smelling our fire on your clothes," Jackson said.**

"**No, I don't think so. This smells...new, fresh, burning now," Melissa said.**

**Jackson sniffed the air again. "I still don't smell it. Maybe it's wishful thinking?"**

**Eric was so far ahead. He felt as if something were pulling him toward the north shore. He was practically running. He rounded a bend in the beach and stopped short. Is that a...?**

**-----------------------------------------------**

**Chapter Thirteen**

He turned and yelled back to the others, "Hey! Come on! Hurry up!" _What is that, is that a...a hut?! Yes! We've found someone! We're saved!!! _Eric started shouting as he ran toward a little hut. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the others had stopped and were staring at him. Exasperated, he flung his pack down and ran back towards them. "Come on! Hurry up!"

"Eric, what's the deal?" Jackson yelled.

"There's a hut! With a fire! We're saved!" Eric yelled back. He was grinning and laughing and jumping up and down. "Come on! Hurry up!" He ran up to Melissa and took her pack then pulled her arm over his shoulder to help her walk faster.

"Really, Eric? A hut? Did you see anyone?!" Melissa was getting as excited as he was.

"I don't know, I was so excited and I just wanted you guys to hurry up!" he replied. "I did see a fire and it was burning. Definitely, it was burning."

"See, Jackson, I told you I smelled a fire!" she said excitedly.

They all rounded the little bend and there it was. A little hut with a fire pit in front of it. You could see the flames dancing. It looked like there was someone lounging in front of it. They were all hurrying as much as they could. Eric was laughing, he was so happy. As they neared the hut, the man sitting there, _it's definitely a man, _didn't move. Melissa was afraid for one second that he was dead but then he slowly turned his head.

He had dark hair. He was balding on top. He had quite a scruffy beard that he was scratching purposefully. His one leg was sticking straight out in front of his body in an awkward sort of way. He was grinning. _That ugly pineapple shirt. Where have I seen that before? _It suddenly dawned on all of them.

Eric was the first to speak. "Captain Chaos? What the?"

"Hey kiddies! It's about time you found us! Juju! Millie! Get out here, I have a surprise for you!"

_Juju? Millie? Who?_

"What is it gramps? I'm busy," Jory said coming out of the little hut.

"Gramps, dude, what's the deal? I'm working on that hammock you wanted," Ian said, coming around the far side of the hut.

"Juju, Millie, don't be rude, we have guests!" Captain Russell said.

"Ian? Jory? Is it really you?" Jory was a lot thinner than the last time they had seen her. Ian's hair was even shaggier than Nathan's. But they both looked happy and healthy.

"Oh my God!!! Melissa! Eric! Abby! Jackson!" Jory yelled. She ran forward and hugged Melissa and Eric in turn. Ian did the same. They hung back from Jackson and Abby and looked at them quizzically.

Captain Russell noticed that Abby was hanging back and silent. "Veggie! Sweetheart! We were so worried about you! We looked for you for days! What's wrong? You're not gonna come say hi?" Then he noticed she was tied up. "Hey, what's the deal? Why do you have my Veggie tied up? Millie, untie her!"

Ian moved forward to untie Abby but Jackson and Eric stepped in front of her. "Um, dude, you _don't_ wanna do that," Eric said.

"Why not?" Ian asked, taking a step back toward Jory and the captain.

Melissa joined Jackson and Eric blocking Abby from the others. She took a step forward and said calmly, "Because Abby tried to...uh, kill me, a few times. She's not um...feeling uh..._right _in the…a..." she stammered, pointing to her own head.

"What do you mean? What happened to her?" "Tried to kill you?" "No way! Not Abby!" "Why would anyone want to kill Melissa? She's the nicest girl at school!" Ian, Jory and Captain Russell were all speaking at once. Melissa noticed they all were staring intently at her, taking in her crutch and every cut, every bruise and especially the big goose egg on her forehead. She looked at the ground uncomfortably and unconsciously moved behind Jackson.

Jackson held up his hands, "Enough!" Everyone stopped talking. "Let's just all sit down and we'll tell you everything."

Jory and Ian sat down on either side of the captain. Melissa and Eric sat opposite them. They had a nice little stone fire pit with logs to sit on surrounding it. Jackson led Abby to a seat near Jory but he held tightly to her tether. She was staring at Captain Russell, Jory and Ian with a blank expression. They were staring back.

"Abby, sweetheart, it's me, Meathead," Captain Russell said softly trying to catch her eye. "Remember, your Meathead?" Abby slowly focused her eyes on him. She stared at him for a few minutes. Then she stared at Jory and Ian in turn. You could see she was fighting to understand what she was seeing. A single tear slowly ran down her cheek.

"Meathead?" she said, barely a whisper.

"That's right, sweetheart. It's me, Captain Meathead. Remember?" he said softly. Abby stared at him for a few seconds then almost imperceptibly she nodded her head once.

"Abby, do you remember me?" Jory asked quietly.

Abby turned her eyes to Jory and considered her for a minute. A small smile played at one corner of her mouth. There was a tiny spark of recognition in her eyes. "Jory?" she whispered.

"Yes," Jory replied softly, nodding and smiling at Abby.

"What about me, Abby. Do you remember me?" Ian asked eagerly.

Abby looked at him. Her smile grew a little. "Ian." Another whisper.

"That's right, Abby. It's Ian. We've missed you!" he said.

Jory cautiously moved next to Abby and sat down. She slowly put her arms around the bound girl and hugged her. Abby's face showed a wide range of emotions in quick succession starting and ending with surprise. Abby finally relaxed into Jory's embrace and started crying.

Jackson, Eric and Melissa silently watched this whole scene play out. They were intent on watching Abby's face and eyes to read what she was really thinking. You could see Abby's eyes were beginning to come back to life but they still didn't trust her.

"Um, Captain Russell? What's wrong with your leg?" Melissa asked.

"Oh, that," he said waving his hand nonchalantly. "It's broken. I'd hurt it before we were separated from Veggie, I mean Abby. After the flash flood, we spent days looking for Veggie but found no sign of her. We decided to continue north and a few days later, I got up in the middle of the night to go, tripped on a root, fell down a hill, rolled right into a boulder and broke it. Lucky for me, Millie and Juju found me the next day. Millie straightened it and Juju put a splint on it."

"Yeah, we camped in the jungle a few days and when gramps was feeling better we made a stretcher and carried his lard ass until we got here. What was it, Ian, like eight days toting that dead weight?" Jory asked.

"Hey! Watch who you're calling a lard ass!" the captain said with mock indignation.

"What 'cha gonna do, gramps, ground me?" Jory shot back. Captain Russell gave her an indulgent grin.

"Yeah, dude, it was like, eight or nine days carrying gramps' heavy butt here. Good thing we were on this side of the mountain, we'd have never made it otherwise," Ian said.

"You buckin' for a grounding too, Millie?" the captain asked.

"Bring it, dude!" Ian shot back.

"That's it, I'm giving you a haircut!"

"You'll have to catch me first, old man!" Ian said laughing. The captain laughed too. Melissa, Jackson and Eric were watching this exchange with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. These three had obviously formed a very strong bond. Abby kept her head buried in Jory's shoulder.

"Anyways," the captain continued, "My leg is much better. Millie and Juju made me some crutches and they've been taking excellent care of me," he said beaming at the two of them. They smiled back.

"Hey, nice hut," Eric said. "Was it here when you arrived?" His voice was full of hope.

"No, me and Jory built it," Ian said proudly. "Come on, check it out!" He jumped up and motioned for them to follow him. Melissa stayed behind with the captain and Abby.

"It turned out so good because of my plan and supervision!" the captain called after them.

As they approached it they saw it wasn't so much a hut as it was a hut-like shelter. It had bamboo walls with palm fronds woven through them and a thickly thatched roof to protect them from the weather. There was plenty of overhang so the doorway was protected from rain too. There were palm fronds on the floor off to the side for sleeping and crude shelves filled with gear on one wall. Their packs were hanging from pegs on another wall. Everything was neat and tidy. There were small bunches of dried plants and ripening bananas hanging from the crossbeams overhead. There was even a small, crude window that faced the jungle. Looking out, Jackson noticed a path into the jungle.

Jory, seeing where Jackson was looking said, "That goes toward the stream. It branches off, left to the latrine and right to our water source, fruit trees, garden, and bathtub."

"Garden? Bathtub?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, there's this great place about a quarter of a mile away where the stream comes shooting off some foothills. It's like a little waterfall and underneath it is this great bowl-shaped place that's perfect for taking baths or swimming or whatever," she said.

"And the garden?" Jackson asked.

"Oh, we planted some stuff we found growing wild so we wouldn't have to walk so far to get food."

"What's with the 'Juju' and 'Millie'?" Eric asked.

"Gramps couldn't remember Ian or Milbauer so he started calling me Milk Bone. Then he changed to Millie," Ian said. "After his Aunt Millie."

"Yeah and he'd never heard the name Jory before so there was no way he'd remember that. He called me 'Twist tie' and 'Twister' for a while then he started calling me Juju bean and now it's just Juju," Jory said with a shrug. "It's his favorite candy."

"Hey! Did you forget about us? Get out here!" Captain Russell yelled.

"Keep your pants on, old man!" Jory yelled back, laughing. "C'mon. Gramps gets upset if we're out of his sight for too long." They all walked back out and reclaimed their places around the fire.

"So, what happened with you guys?" Jory asked cutting her eyes toward Abby.

Eric explained briefly about Abby turning up at the plane twice and the four of them deciding to come west looking for civilization and them. He slowed down and hesitated more and more as he had to describe Abby's increasingly scary behavior and her attacks on Melissa. Jackson helped him fill in parts of the story when it seemed Eric couldn't or wouldn't continue. They both kept looking nervously at Melissa who was staring into the fire, reliving every attack in her head. Abby was sitting slumped over to one side staring at the ground. Ian, Jory and Captain Russell were wide-eyed in disbelief.

Eric and Jackson described Abby pushing Melissa off the cliff and finally their ultimatum to Abby to either do things their way or be left behind.

After they finished, no one said anything for a few minutes. Jory's mouth had been hanging open. She slowly closed it and moved toward Abby. She made the girl look at her and said softly, "It's going to be okay Abby. Ian, Meathead and I are here now. You found us. We're together again. We're safe. You can relax. Everything is fine now."

Abby looked at Jory. Tears were streaming down her face. "We're together?" she said in a whisper. Jory nodded. "We're safe?" Jory nodded again. Abby seemed to be processing everything. Her face screwed up and she started sobbing wholeheartedly. Jory threw her arms around Abby and pulled her into a hug. She sat there rocking her for some time. Ian moved to the other side of Abby and gently rubbed her back. The others just watched them awkwardly.

_Hopefully, this means her healing has started, _Melissa thought.

"So, uh, how about you show us this 'bathtub'?" Eric said, lifting his arm and sniffing his armpit. "Whew! I know I could sure use one!"

"Um, sure," Ian said. "Follow me." Eric picked up his pack and followed Ian behind the hut. Jackson looked at Abby then Melissa. "I sure could use a bath, too. Will you be okay here until we get back?"

Melissa gave him a small smile and nodded. Jackson picked up his pack and jogged after the other boys.

"Would you like to lay down for a while?" Jory asked Abby. She nodded. Jory helped Abby stand up and led her into the hut. She returned after a few minutes and added more wood to the fire before sitting down. "So Melissa, is it true? Did Abby really do all of that to you?"

Melissa looked at Jory then the captain. They were staring at her skeptically. "Yeah, it's all true."

"I can't believe that!" Jory exclaimed. "Abby is one of the sweetest people at school. She'd never hurt a flea!"

"I used to think that too," Melissa replied. She sat up straighter and looked them both in the eye. "Abby _was _one of the sweetest people at school. But _this_ Abby, after she came back to the plane the second time, she was...different. Cold. Hard. She just kept saying, 'the strong survive, the weak don't'. On this trek, she stalked and killed a big sea bird without flinching. She isn't a vegan anymore. She was stealing food and lying and secretly hoarding and eating food. She was constantly sharpening and polishing her knife, stabbing any bug or lizard that came too close. It was creepy. She isn't the same girl we knew at Hartwell. When she pushed me down the first time I thought it was an accident. After that, she was deliberately trying to hurt me. To _kill_ me. Because I was slowing her down. She said I was a threat to her survival. I was weak so I had to die so she could survive." Jory and the captain were staring dumbfounded at Melissa. "I understand she's not in her right mind. Almost dying twice herself, guilt about not finding you three, all of that just made her...snap. I don't blame her and I'll forgive her when she asks, but right now, I don't trust her. I can't."

Jory and the captain looked away and thought about what Melissa said. No one really knew what to say. Jory stood up and threw another log on the fire. The boys returned after a while looking freshly scrubbed and carrying wet laundry. They hung it over some branches and joined the girls and the captain around the fire. "Where's Abby?" Eric asked, looking around and sounding a little panicked.

"She's in the hut, sleeping," Jory answered.

Jackson sat close to Melissa. "You okay?"

"Yeah. No worries." _Jackson smells so good._ "What's that smell?" she asked.

"Oh, Ian showed us this plant that Jory found, she called it...something or other. Anyway, natives in this part of the world use it for soap, it gets all foamy and it makes you feel so clean."

"And smell so good," she smiled at him. "Jory, I would love a bath and maybe you could help Abby take one?"

"Sure! Come on!" Jory picked up Abby's pack and went into the hut. She emerged a few minutes later with a towel and Abby on her tether still looking disoriented. Melissa shouldered her pack, picked up her crutch and limped off after them.

The captain was filling Ian in on what Melissa had told them. Ian was shaking his head in disbelief. Eric and Jackson pulled some fruit out of their packs and offered it to the others. They sat there quietly eating.

"So, how's my baby?" the captain asked, looking hopefully from Eric to Jackson. They looked at him like he'd lost all his marbles.

"Your..._baby_?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, my baby. My plane. My _Sally_," he said.

"Dude, you named your plane, _Sally_?" Eric scoffed, smirking.

"Of course! After my best gal! You always name your plane or your ship after a girl! Don't they teach you nothin' in that fancy school of yours?"

"Uh, I guess not. Well, you see..." Eric began.

"We saved it from being carried away by the tide the first day," Jackson said. "But after that really bad storm hit, when we came out the next morning, the plane was gone. All that was left was a wing and an interior door."

"Oh!" the captain groaned. He had a pained expression on his face.

"But then we came out a few days later and there it was!" Eric said quickly.

"Really? _Sally_ came back? How is she? Will I be able to get her flying again?" Captain Russell asked.

"Yeah, in your dreams," Eric said under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Um, well, probably not," Eric said.

"She'd been rolling around the ocean floor for a few days. Her wings were torn off, several of the windows smashed, she was pretty beat up before she was spit back up on the shore," Jackson said.

"Oh, my poor, poor _Sally_!" the captain said. He actually had tears in his eyes.

"But it's all good!" Eric said cheerily. "We pulled her up the beach to our fire pit and made it..." The captain glared at him. "...Uh, _her_, into a shelter. And before the ocean took _her_, Lex, the little kid, used all kinds of things from _her_ to make stuff. We were using the radio before lightning fried it. We removed the chairs and were using them around the fire. We used some wires for fishing line and Lex used the speakers to hook up our mp3 player so we had music. And he found the battery charger and the battery and we've used that everyday. So you see, _Sally_ lives on and _she_ helped us live...we owe our lives to _Sally_," Eric finished dramatically.

"You...you..._stripped_ my _Sally_?" the captain sniffed.

"Only for the things we needed. She was a good plane, nay, a _great_ plane. She gave her life so that we could live..." Eric said, placing a hand over his heart. "_Sally_ helped save eight peoples' lives. You should be _very_ proud."

Jackson was looking at Eric in amazement. _I can't believe he said that with a straight face_. _That guy could sell dirt to farmers._

"Well," the captain said sniffing. "If she had to go, it was a noble death." No one said another word. They didn't know what to say. "To_ Sally_," the captain said, raising his canteen and taking a few big gulps.

Eric, Ian and Jackson exchanged looks then raised their canteens and water bottles too. "To _Sally_!" they said in unison. They each took a swig.

They sat there in silence. The captain assumed it was out of respect for _Sally_. _These are some good boys, _he thought.

Melissa was amazed at how beautiful Jory's 'bathtub' was. It was absolutely perfect! Thick, green foliage and trees surrounding this bowl shaped depression underneath a gorgeous waterfall, just enough sun coming through the canopy to warm the water and give it light, but not enough to make it hot. _This looks like a movie set, _she thought. Melissa had noticed aloe and her favorite flowers growing all over the place. Jory showed her the soap plant and she picked some for all of them. Melissa went to the far side and stripped off her clothes and waded into the clear water. Keeping her back to the others, she used the soap plant to lather up her hair and her body. She couldn't believe it! It was almost like using real soap. She felt like she was scrubbing layers and layers of accumulated grime off her body. _I haven't felt this clean since before we left the plane and had some real soap. _Melissa noticed that most of her bruises were starting to fade. Several were turning green and yellow. _I'm healing, too._ She used the aloe in her hair then just floated around letting the water ease the tension out of her abused body.

Meanwhile, Jory helped Abby out of her filthy clothes. They waded in together and Abby dipped under the water. When she surfaced, Jory started washing Abby's hair while talking soothingly to her. When Abby had finished her bath Jory helped her put on the first fresh clothes she'd worn since pushing Melissa off the cliff. Melissa was already out and using the soap plant to wash her clothes. Jory looked at Abby's filthy, discarded clothes then at Abby. "Don't worry, I'll wash them and bring them back with me," Melissa said. Jory nodded then picked up Abby's pack and led her back to camp.

Melissa added Abby's clothes to her own. She was happy to be really alone for the first time in what seemed like forever. She stopped washing the clothes and just marveled at the beauty around her. _Places like this make me forget we're stuck on a deserted island. _Melissa let out a deep sigh. _This peace is another reason I don't want to leave the island_. She sighed again then brought her attention back to the laundry.

Jory and Abby arrived back at the fire. Eric and Ian were off getting firewood, the captain had hobbled off to the fruit trees to get more fruit and Jackson was sitting staring into the fire. He looked up as they approached and watched expectantly for Melissa to follow them in. When she didn't he felt his stomach lurch. "Where's Melissa?" he demanded.

"She's washing the clothes, she'll be along soon." Jackson visibly relaxed. Abby and Jory sat down by the fire. Abby looked better than she had in days. And she smelled so much better.

"Uh, Jory, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure," Jory said. Jackson motioned for her to follow him. They walked over by the hut. "What's up?" she asked.

"Look, I know Abby seems..._okay _now but please, don't trust her. Just a few days ago she was very dangerous. Maybe she's past that, I don't know. All I know is, I'm not willing to risk anyone's safety yet. I'm going to go help Melissa. Please, no matter what, don't untie her. And don't leave anything sharp around her."

"Okay. No problem," Jory said looking at him like _he_ was the one with the problem.

Jackson walked over, picked up his pack, _both knives are in here, I don't want to leave this near Abby, _and went off to find Melissa. As he approached the waterfall he saw her reclining on a boulder with her eyes closed. She looked so beautiful and so peaceful he hated to disturb her. He just stood there watching her awhile. She deserved to have this peace and quiet. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He approached her slowly and said very quietly, "Melissa."

She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. There he was, standing and watching her with a smile on his face. She smiled back. He held out his hand and she took it. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her neck. _She smells so incredible! _He pulled back and stared into her eyes, gently caressing her cheek with his fingertips. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Their kiss was full of passion but not desperate, adolescent groping. This kiss meant so much more. They both felt their desire mounting. They stood there locked in an embrace, kissing each other with abandon, wanting each other more than anything. Shivers were going up both their spines but they both knew they couldn't give in to the temptation. Their mouths slowly parted and they just stood there holding onto each other until their breathing returned to normal.

_He could still pick Taylor. He could still pick Taylor._ Melissa sighed heavily. She broke the embrace.

"Mel, I'm sorry. I..."

"Stop, Jackson. Don't say it, I know. I'm a big girl, it's okay." Jackson felt like a first class shit. "Let's just go back to camp. Could you grab the laundry?" Melissa picked up her pack and crutch and started limping back the path to the camp.

Jackson picked up his own pack and the wet laundry and followed her. "Mel, are you mad? I'm really sorry..."

Melissa stopped and turned to face him. "Jackson, stop! Really, it's okay. I'm alright. I'm not mad at you." He didn't look like he believed her. "Honestly! I'm not. I'm a little mad at myself. I'm mad at our situation. But I'm not mad at you, okay?" She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Okay." They continued back to camp. _I am such an asshole, _he thought._ I'm mad at me! Mel deserves better!_

When they arrived at camp the others were all sitting around the fire. Abby looked better after her bath but she was still silent and looked confused. Jory and Ian were sitting on either side of Abby, each holding a hand. They and the captain were talking quietly to her. Melissa dropped her pack by the hut and took the laundry from Jackson. She walked off toward the trees to hang it up. Jackson hid his pack behind the hut and went to meet Eric who was walking up from the beach with several fish on a stick. They threaded them on a spit and put them over the fire to cook. Melissa went into the hut and cut up some fruit. When the fish were done they passed the food out to everyone. They all sat in silence, eating and thinking their own thoughts.

"This fish tastes great, kiddies!" the captain said, smacking his lips. "Ol' Millie over there hasn't had much luck getting us fish. It's been what, about two weeks since we've had any?"

"I didn't see you bringing home the bacon, old man!" Ian shot back, smiling.

They all finished and sat around making small talk. The captain was reminiscing about his _Sally _and all the trips they'd taken. Jory and Ian were still holding a quiet, one-sided conversation with Abby. The sun was slowly sinking into the western sky. Everyone made their last trips to the latrine and decided to turn in early. Jory announced the girls would sleep in the hut and the boys would sleep outside. Eric and Jackson set up the tent off to the side between the hut and the fire pit. The captain hobbled in and was soon asleep as evidenced by the loud snores emanating from the tent. Ian moved to join him. Eric and Jackson looked at him like he was crazy. "Dude, I'm so used to his snoring I can't sleep without hearing it," he told them.

Jackson and Eric preferred to sleep near the fire, under the stars. They unrolled their sleeping bags and crawled in. Eric pulled his hat over his eyes and was soon lightly snoring.

Melissa was exhausted but couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned long after both Abby and Jory had dozed off.

Jackson, too, was having a hard time sleeping. Something didn't feel right. He must have finally dozed off because the next thing he knew, something made him open his eyes. Abby was standing over him with a big stick. Before he had time to register and react, she had clubbed him over the head. Stars exploded behind his eyelids. He blacked out for a minute but then he heard screaming. _Melissa! _He struggled to sit up. The pain exploded in his head again. He clutched at it and felt something slick on his hands. _Blood. _He looked over in Eric's direction, ready to call him to help. Eric was sprawled halfway out of his sleeping bag, with a bloody gash on his own head. His hat was lying crushed, next to him. Jackson moved to check his pulse when another scream erupted. "Melissa!" Jackson fought against the pain and dizziness threatening to envelop him and stood up. Clutching his head, he lurched in the direction of the hut. The moon had fully risen and cast a bright glow on the whole campsite. He reached the door and looked in. The hut was empty except for one body. "Mel!" Jackson stumbled in and fell onto the floor next to her. "What the?" _No!_ "No!" he screamed as he suddenly noticed the knife sticking out of her chest and the big stain of blood on the front of her shirt. His felt his knees getting wet and he realized it was her blood soaking through his jeans. Melissa slowly looked up at him. Her breathing was shallow and labored. Jackson was panicking, he reached out to try and stop the flow of blood. She winced and cried out in pain. "I'm sorry, Mel. You'll be okay. I'll stop the bleeding and then we'll get Jory and the captain and we'll..." He felt hot tears on his cheeks. _Oh God! No! Not Mel! Please, not Mel!_

Melissa spoke in a strained whisper. "Jackson...I'm...sorry."

He looked at her incredulously. "What are you sorry for?" His voice was full of pain.

"This," she said indicating the knife sticking out of her. "I should have...been more...more...careful. It's my...fault and now...I'm...sorry." Her voice was fading. "Tell Abby...I forgive...her. I...know she...she...couldn't...help it"

"Shh, Mel. Quiet. Save your strength. Eric! Captain Russell! Ian! Jory! Get in here! Melissa's hurt! Hurry!" Jackson felt the same panic rising as when he'd seen her on the cliff. His hands were working, he wanted to touch her but he was afraid he'd hurt her again. He settled for brushing her hair off her face.

"J...Jackson. I have to...to...say this. Please." Jackson swallowed his protest. "Tell Eric...Daley and...Lex ...Taylor...I love them. And tell...tell Nathan...tell him...that he...was the brother...I... I...always...wanted." She took a ragged breath and let out a little cry of pain.

"Mel!" Jackson had never felt so useless in his life. He grabbed onto his cross and prayed harder than he ever had before.

"Jack...Jackson." Melissa's voice was becoming weaker and weaker. Jackson grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back. "Jackson, tell Nathan to...to tell...my parents...I love them." He felt her grip on his hand slackening. Her breathing was slowing. "And... and...Jackson ...I...I...really...I... love...you." She was staring at him with such adoration in her eyes it made his tears fall faster. His heart was hammering so hard in his chest he thought it would burst. Melissa's free hand slowly reached up and gently brushed the tears off his cheek then she wrapped her fingers around the cross at his throat. "You...don't...have...to feel...the...same...it's okay." Her breaths were more like gasps now. "Just...please...one more...one more...kiss?"

Jackson bent down and put all of his emotions into the kiss. He felt her kissing him back. _That means she'll be okay, right God? Please? Please! _Jackson pulled back and looked into her fading eyes. "I love you, Melissa. I love you with all of my heart. I really do. You're my best friend! You're the only one for me! Please hold on! Please! Don't leave me! Please, Melissa! I love you!"

Melissa's eyes were filled with such joy as she stared up into Jackson's. "My...only...only regret...is not...not being...with...you," she gasped. Her hand was still wrapped around his cross. She gave him one last beautiful smile before the light completely faded from her eyes. He heard her last little exhalation of breath. Her head fell to the side, her eyes closed and her hand slowly relaxed its grip on his necklace.

Jackson grabbed her hand and wouldn't let it unclasp the cross. He bent over and pulled her onto his lap. He was sobbing uncontrollably now. His keening sounded like some wounded animal. "NO!!! Melissa, come back! Don't leave me! NO!!!

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**A/N: NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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**Please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the delay, real life has a cruel way of interfering with the best of intentions...**

**First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU to every single one of you for reading my story. **

**A huge THANKS to all of you who took the time to review and private message me! Your support is what keeps me writing - and ignoring or procrastinating on my other obligations :-)**

**A special THANKS to my number one reviewers- pinklen98 and Opal who wrote a review for _every single chapter! _You guys rock!**

**Also to bella.dolce and Opal for appreciating the touches of humor I added. **

**To Opal: yes, he was doing what you thought he was. Good catch! Look for one more :-)**

**I admit, I'm very sad to see this story end. :-(**

**The Strong Will Survive**

**Disclaimer****: Don't own, may contain some facts from the F29D books that I've expanded on. Plot is all mine.**

**Author's Note: Written pre- Hotel Tango so no spoilers. Any similarities are coincidental.**

**Characters aren't OOC, I prefer to think of it as exposing parts of their personalities they've tried to keep on the down low _or_ have finally developed based on their island experiences, EPOTPTTTKOTDLOHFDBOTIE, for short. **

_**Some walls go up, while other barriers are torn down. Slowly, brick by brick or shattered all at once.**_

**Just _my_ little version of one possibility.**

**POETIC LICENSE used profusely, it is FICTION after all. All of the military stuff is heavily poetically licensed so please don't give me grief about any mistakes concerning that. **

**Remember to SUSPEND DISBELIEF to fully enjoy.**

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**He felt her grip on his hand slackening. Her breathing was slowing. "And... and...Jackson ...I...I...really...I... love...you." She was staring at him with such adoration in her eyes it made his tears fall faster. His heart was hammering so hard in his chest he thought it would burst. Melissa's free hand slowly reached up and gently brushed the tears off his cheek then she wrapped her fingers around the cross at his throat. "You...don't...have...to feel...the...same...it's okay." Her breaths were more like gasps now. "Just...please...one more...one more...kiss?"**

**Jackson bent down and put all of his emotions into the kiss. He felt her kissing him back. _That means she'll be okay, right God? Please? Please! _Jackson pulled back and looked into her fading eyes. "I love you, Melissa. I love you with all of my heart. I really do. You're my best friend! You're the only one for me! Please hold on! Please! Don't leave me! Please, Melissa! I love you!"**

**Melissa's eyes were filled with such joy as she stared up into Jackson's. "My...only...only regret...is not...not being...with...you," she gasped. Her hand was still wrapped around his cross. She gave him one last beautiful smile before the light completely faded from her eyes. He heard her last little exhalation of breath. Her head fell to the side, her eyes closed and her hand slowly relaxed its grip on his necklace.**

**Jackson grabbed her hand and wouldn't let it unclasp the cross. He bent over and pulled her onto his lap. He was sobbing uncontrollably now. His keening sounded like some wounded animal. "NO!!! Melissa, come back! Don't leave me! NO!!!**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

Through his tears Jackson suddenly noticed that the knife sticking out of Melissa's chest was his. _The one I made at Big Jay's. No! _"NO!!" he screamed again. A tremor passed through Jackson's body. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was sweating and breathing like he'd just run a marathon. He looked across the fire. Eric was snoring peacefully. _A dream. Holy shit! _He tried to get his breathing under control. _Thank God, it was only a dream! _He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. Jackson couldn't settle down. His heart was still pounding in his chest. He stood up and walked to the beach where he furiously paced back and forth. _Only a dream. But it was so damned vivid! It _was_ just a dream, right? _Jackson wasn't so sure now. He ran as fast as he could back to the hut. The moon cast a bright glow over the whole campsite _exactly like my dream_. This made his heart skip a beat and his stomach flip. He peered in the doorway. Three bodies. Jackson exhaled loudly. The body closest to the door suddenly sat up. "Jackson, is that you?" _Melissa._ She stood up and limped over to him. "What's wrong? You can't sleep either?"

Jackson felt like his heart was hammering loud enough to wake up the whole island. He pulled Melissa into a tight hug. Melissa could feel his whole body trembling. With difficulty she pulled out of his arms and grabbed her sleeping bag, took his hand and led him down to the beach. There, she dropped her sleeping bag, turned to him and pulled him into her embrace. He was still trembling as he grabbed onto her like his life depended on it. She felt wetness on her shoulder. Her brow wrinkled in confusion as she stood there soothing him. "Jackson, what is it? What's wrong? What happened?" His breathing finally slowed. She pulled back from him. His cheeks were slick with tears. She reached up and gently wiped them away. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed the palm. Then he raised her chin and kissed her wildly. He seemed to be trying to consume her. His lips were crushing hers. His arms were wrapped so tightly around her, Melissa found it difficult to breathe. Her bruised ribs were starting to protest. Jackson didn't seem to be aware of his strength. When he had finally convinced himself that she was alive he quickly pulled away suddenly realizing that he was probably hurting her, but he kept his hands on her arms, unwilling to break physical contact. Melissa gazed up at him. "Jackson, what is it?"

Jackson rubbed a hand across his eyes and sniffed. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. Jackson, you're scaring me. What's wrong? What happened? Please tell me!"

"You're going to think I'm the biggest idiot!"

"No, I won't. You know you can tell me anything." Her calm gaze steadied him.

Jackson took a deep breath. He told her all about his dream, omitting their declarations of love. "...It just seemed so real. I felt the pain in my head. I could feel and smell the blood. I was so scared. Then I couldn't get back to sleep. I just kept seeing you with that kni..."

She took his hand. There were tears in her eyes. "I couldn't sleep. Something didn't feel right."

"Yeah, me too. I kept tossing and turning, I didn't think I had fallen asleep. I couldn't shake this weird feeling that something was wrong," he said, sniffing again. "Then the dream started but I thought I was awake...it was awful." Melissa hugged him again.

"I think I know what the problem is," she said. "Go grab your sleeping bag and bring it down here." Jackson gave her a gentle squeeze and sprinted off. He was back in no time wearing a smile. He, too, had figured out what the problem was. Without a word, he unzipped his bag and laid it out on the sand. He picked up Melissa's and unzipped it. They lay down and he covered them both. Melissa had her back to Jackson. He scooted in and spooned her, with one arm curled under his head and the other draped over her. She snuggled up tight against him and grabbed his hand, entwined their fingers and pulled it against her chest. He could feel her heartbeat. He could smell her hair. That calmed him. They both let out contented sighs and fell into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning he was the first to wake. He heard a sea bird's sharp call. Jackson slowly opened his eyes. Melissa's warm body was still pressed up against his. They were still holding hands. He could still feel her heartbeat. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. _This is what was wrong, _he thought. _That was the first time we've been separated in weeks. That's why it didn't feel right. _His dream came back to him in a terrible flash. His stomach heaved. _That was so incredibly real. I don't even want to think about what I'd do if… _An involuntary shudder shook his body. He felt Melissa stir. He tightened his arm around her and she settled down. He smiled again and lay there breathing in her scent until he noticed it was becoming light. "Time to get up, Mel," he said softly in her ear.

"Mmm. Do we have to?" she asked in a whisper. "Can't we just go back to sleep for a bit?"

"We can, if you don't mind the others finding us like this."

"What's wrong with that? We didn't do anything. Just sleep." She slowly rolled over to face him. She put one hand on his chest and the other caressed his cheek. They just stared into each other's eyes for several minutes. Jackson finally gave her a soft kiss on the lips then sat up. He felt his heat rising and this was _definitely_ the wrong time for that. Melissa slowly dragged herself into an upright position. She brushed her fingertips against her lips. They were bruised from his desperate kisses last night. She smiled and thought,_ I enjoyed getting these bruises_.

They sat there leaning against each other, Melissa's head on his shoulder, Jackson's head resting on hers, and watched the sun rise up out of the ocean to their right. When it was fully above the distant horizon they stood up, picked up their bags and headed back to camp. Luckily, everyone was still asleep. Jackson returned to his place near the fire. He added wood then took off into the jungle.

Melissa went back into the hut and got dressed. As she was folding the t-shirt she'd slept in she caught a whiff of masculine scent. She pressed the shirt to her face and inhaled deeply. _Mmm, I can still smell Jackson. _She sighed. _He could still pick Taylor. But…he was so upset after that dream. Yeah, dummy! Because he watched you die! Duh! _Melissa shook her head to clear it then stuffed the shirt into her pack. She grabbed her toothbrush and squeezed out a millimeter of paste onto it. She was trying to make it last as long as possible. She grabbed a water bottle and her towel and limped off down the path to the waterfall, brushing her teeth and thinking about last night. She met Jackson on the path. He had that relaxed yet exhilarated look that she'd seen before. They clasped hands briefly and continued on their way in opposite directions.

When Melissa returned to camp, everyone else was up. Ian was boiling water, Jory was setting out fruit for breakfast and everyone else was sitting around the fire. Abby still looked the same though she was following Jory's every move with her eyes. Melissa sat down between Jackson and Eric and Jory handed her a banana. They started discussing what they were going to do for the day. Ian and Eric decided to go fishing, the captain and Jory were going to take Abby to the 'orchard' to gather fruit, and Melissa and Jackson decided to collect firewood, haul water and boil it. Soon everyone had gone their separate ways.

Melissa and Jackson gathered empty containers and went to get water. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Melissa obviously deep in thought.

"What's on your mind, Mel?" Jackson asked.

"What?"

"You're obviously thinking about something. I asked you a question two minutes ago and you still haven't answered me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about what to do next."

"Well, we're going to take the water back and filter it then..."

"No," she smiled. "I mean, we found the others, there's no civilization here, so what do we do next? Do we stay here? Do we go back to the plane? Have you thought about it?"

"Well, we only got here yesterday but yeah, I have been thinking about it."

"And?"

"And I'm not really sure. There really is no point staying here but I don't think the captain can travel."

"Or Abby," she added quietly.

"Or Abby. What do you think?"

"I think Ian, Jory and the captain are happy here and Abby can stay with them. I was thinking about heading east along the beach to see if anything is there then just go back to the plane. If rescue comes, we know where everyone is now. If it doesn't come, we still know where everyone is. What do you think?" She looked at Jackson.

"I was pretty much thinking the same thing. I mean, I like it here, I really do. The waterfall is great," he said gesturing. "Taylor would kill for it, but I'm already getting restless. We came to find the others and look for civilization, we've found the others so I think it's time to move on. After a few day's rest."

_He had to mention Taylor,_ she thought. "What do you think Eric will want to do?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I have a feeling he'll want to leave. He's really keen to find civilization, and he's not exactly fond of Abby so I think he'll want to come with us. But, if he doesn't...will you be okay with...just me?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?' she looked at him puzzled.

"Well, if it's just us...by ourselves...no snores to interrupt...I mean...what if..."

"You mean, will I jump your bones if there's no one to stop us?" she finished for him. Melissa stopped and looked at Jackson. It looked like he was actually blushing a little. _I can't believe I just said that! _she thought.

He turned and looked at her, a little surprised by her boldness. "Well, not just you, I mean, I was there, too."

"So I have to worry about you jumping my bones?" she asked with a grin. _Melissa! What is wrong with you?_

"You're enjoying this way too much!" he said. "I just mean, you know...if there's no one there to stop us...we've gotten carried away before..."

She was still grinning at him. "Are you telling me that you can't control yourself around me, Jackson?" Melissa mentally held her breath waiting to hear his answer.

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm not going to win this am I?"

"Nope."

"Okay. Sometimes I can't control myself around you." Melissa smiled internally. "And if we're alone for a week or two...I just don't want to lead you on or hurt you," he said, looking at the ground.

"Or make a decision," she said a little coldly. Jackson's head snapped up. "I'm sorry. That was mean. I didn't..."

"No, it's okay. You're just being honest, Mel. You're right. I _am_ avoiding making a decision."

"And why is that?" she asked, staring into his eyes.

"I guess I need to see Taylor again and spend some time with her, to figure out how I feel. Lame, I know, but that's how I'm feeling."

"Hey, if that's how you feel, that's how you feel. Like I've said before, it's okay, I'm a big girl. And, I don't know about you, but I _can_ control myself around you, if I have to. And since you've just told me you need to see Taylor before making a decision, I _will_ control myself." Melissa started walking again.

Jackson just stared at her retreating back for a minute then he slowly started walking after her. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, Jackson! How can you say that to her after all you've been through together? _He shook his head. _I hope I didn't just lose my best friend..._ He ran to catch up with her. "Mel, wait!" He stepped in front of her and put down his water jugs. "Please, wait. I want to talk about this."

Melissa put down her water jugs. "Go ahead, talk." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, waiting.

Jackson rubbed his hand over his face and looked her in the eye. "Look, Mel, I know I've said this before but it's true, you are my _best friend_. I've never had one before and I sure as hell don't want to lose you. I know I'm handling this whole thing completely wrong but this is new territory for me. I've never had a best friend or real friends that I could count on before. I've never been closer to anyone than I am to you and to be honest..."

"Yes?" she asked.

"It scares me."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know how to trust or love, Mel. Everyone I've ever loved or trusted in my life has either let me down or been taken away from me. I have no idea how to have a real relationship with anyone. And I'd kill myself before I hurt you like that. I know I've already hurt you but I swear I never meant to." His eyes were shiny with tears. "Mel, I can't lose you. I couldn't handle it if you were taken away from me or..."

Melissa stepped forward and put him out of his misery. She put her arms around him. "It's okay, Jackson. You won't lose me, no matter what." He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Promise?" he whispered.

"Promise," she replied. _I may have to be mad at you for a while but you'll never lose me, _she thought. _I couldn't stand to lose you, either. _"Well, I think we need to get this water back and boiled or there's going to be a lot of angry, thirsty people."

"So, we're good, Mel?"

"Yeah, we're good," she replied. She gave him one of her big smiles that he loved and picked up her water jugs. He felt a familiar sensation in the pit of his stomach then he picked up his jugs and followed her.

They arrived back at camp and Melissa started filtering and boiling as Jackson went back and collected firewood. Soon everyone was back and they started eating the fruit that Jory and the captain had brought back. Ian and Eric hadn't caught a single fish. "I don't get it," Eric kept repeating. "It's like there are no fish left in the ocean. We didn't see a single one. Weird."

Everyone was quietly chatting when the captain suddenly sat up straight and said, "Shhh! What's that? Do you hear it?"

"Hear what? I don't hear..." Eric started then stopped. They all heard it now.

"Millie, quick, grab a burning log and get that signal lit!" the captain yelled. Ian grabbed a burning log off the fire and sprinted toward the beach. He threw it into a pile of rubbish that Melissa now realized was a_ signal fire!_ Jackson grabbed another one and took off after Ian. The rest of them ran toward the beach yelling. Ian and Jackson were standing there screaming and waving their arms wildly. The signal fire was huge and roaring away. They all stood there yelling and screaming and waving their arms. There, on the horizon, was a huge gray boat.

"It's a navy ship!" Captain Russell screamed. "We're rescued! Woo hoo!" He hobbled over and clapped Ian on the back. Jory came over and hugged them both then went to where Abby had collapsed on the ground crying and put her arms around her. Eric was jumping up and down, waving his hat and wearing the biggest smile Melissa had ever seen on his face. He started hugging everybody. Jackson was screaming and waving like the rest of them. Melissa was smiling and hugging with them but then she moved off to the side and slowly sank to her knees. She started crying.

"They've seen us! They're heading this way! Quick, Millie! Light the other one!" Ian grabbed the end of a burning stick and sprinted down the beach to another huge pile of sticks, logs and dried out palm leaves and coconut husks. He touched the stick to several places then shoved it into the center of the pile. It slowly smoked then_ poof! _It caught like lightning had struck and it started blazing away.

They continued to watch the huge ship head their way. After a while they noticed a much smaller boat being launched. Their screaming and jumping had died down. Now they were all standing or sitting on the beach with huge grins on their faces and their arms around each other. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Jackson noticed Melissa was missing. He turned and scanned the beach. She was moving off, back towards camp. He ran after her. "Mel! We're saved! We're going home! Mel!" He caught up to her and grabbed her hand, spinning her around. She was crying but they didn't look like tears of joy. She looked really upset. "Mel, what's wrong?"

She looked up at him. "Don't get me wrong, Jackson, I _am_ happy. Finally, we're going home! No more worrying about surviving day-to-day. No more adult pressures, no one trying to hurt me. But...please don't hate me..."

"Never!"

"We're rescued, Jackson. Now it's back to the _real world_. And I'm not ready to go."

"It'll be okay, Mel. I'll be there for you, remember? Do you trust me?"

"Completely."

"Then, there you go. Everything will be fine." He gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Now come on, let's go meet our saviors." They walked back down to the beach and stood there with their arms around each other. The boat had a flat bottom so it pulled right up onto the beach. The front flipped down to make a ramp and a handful of men started filing off it very orderly.

"Hello there! Are you the folks from Flight Two-Niner-Delta-William-November?" a tall naval officer with graying hair asked as he walked briskly up the sand toward the small group.

"Yes, we are!" Captain Russell shouted. "Captain Robert Russell, sir. Are we ever glad to see you!" he said throwing his arms around the startled naval officer.

"Yes, well..." he gently pried Captain Russell off of him. "I'm Captain Steven Gregg, United States Navy. Now let's see, our reports said there's eleven of you all together. The pilot and ten students. I see..." he did a quick head count, "only six students. Are the others sleeping?"

"No, they're on the other side of the island!" Eric said. He noticed one of the sailors was shooting a video. Another was snapping pictures with a very fancy digital camera.

"The other side of the island? How did they get there? And where's the plane?" asked Captain Gregg.

"It's a long story," Jackson said.

"Is everyone alright? Does anyone need medical attention?" he asked surveying the group taking in Captain Russell's splint and crutches, Melissa's crutch and bruised and battered face. No one answered.

"How did you find us?" Jory asked.

"Yeah, and what the heck took you so long?" Eric asked. Captain Gregg looked sharply at Eric. "Not that we're not grateful, but..."

"A Chinese fishing boat found a small raft with a distress signal on it. They were out to sea until five days ago. When they made port they turned it into the authorities with details of when and where they found it. The Chinese authorities contacted us and after we researched the currents and weather conditions back to the day they found the raft, we figured out a general search area and we've been searching every island in the vicinity. And let me tell you, there are hundreds of small islands around here. Just yesterday we came across a report from several weeks ago of a vague and weak radio distress signal in this general vicinity so we hoped we were searching in the right area. But without that raft, we would have _never_ found you."

"Way to go, chief and Lex! It's thanks to you we're rescued!" Eric said clapping Jackson on the back.

"The navy searched for two weeks where we _thought_ you were based on the flight plan. That was over three hundred miles from here. We didn't find anything so the search was called off."

The survivors all looked a little shocked and upset over this. "So…our families all think we're…dead?" Ian asked.

"Well, I don't know about that. From what I've heard, they raised quite a fuss about the Navy giving up so easily and got their own search team together. The only problem is they've been searching in the same wrong area we were. That reminds me," Captain Gregg said. "Is everyone from the flight alive?"

"As far as we know they are. The other four were fine when we left them a few weeks ago. Why?" Jackson asked.

"I want the navy to notify your families ASAP that you are all alive but I don't want to do that until we know for sure." Jackson, Eric and Melissa suddenly looked worried as they started wondering if their friends back at camp were safe.

Another naval officer had approached Melissa. She recognized a medical insignia on his lapel. "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Samuels. I'm a doctor. How did you get that goose egg and all those bruises?" He reached up and tilted her head back to get a better look at it.

"That's a long story, too. I had a concussion. I'm fine. No double vision. No blurriness. I don't even have a headache anymore."

Lieutenant Samuels looked surprised. "You sound like you've had medical training."

"Both my parents are doctors and I've had junior paramedic training."

"Yeah, Melissa saved us more than once. Saved herself, too," Eric said, walking up to them.

"Really? How?"

"One of the first days here I got real sick. Melissa was the only one who knew it was an allergic reaction and what to do about it. She knew to inject me with adrenaline. She was the only one who would stick the needle in me," Eric said. "And she nursed Jackson there," he pointed toward Jackson, "when he had a bad case of giardia. And…"

"Stop, Eric!" Melissa said pointedly. She was glaring at him. Eric's grin faded and he held up his hands in surrender. He mouthed _sorry _to her then moved off toward the two captains.

"So, you want to be a doctor, too?" he asked with a smile.

"Maybe. Um, do you have a psychologist or psychiatrist on board?"

He looked at her with a troubled expression. "Yes, why?"

"Because that girl over there, the one in the pink shirt?"

"Yes?"

"Her name's Abby and she's had a _very_ rough time and she needs..._help_."

"Oh, okay." Lieutenant Samuels gave her a puzzled look then moved off and knelt in front of Abby and Jory. He started talking to Abby in a gentle voice.

After conferring with his men for a few minutes, Captain Gregg turned and said, "Before we go pick up your friends, do you mind showing us around your camp and telling us a little about how you survived?" He pointed at the cameras, "We're supposed to document everything."

"Sure," Jory and Ian said together.

"We'll show you around. It was just Jory, the captain and I until yesterday." Ian said.

"The rest of you can collect anything you want to take with you and go wait on the boat now, if you'd like. We'll all go back to the ship together when we're finished." A junior officer stepped forward and handed a bag to the captain. "Oh, yes, thank you ensign. I almost forgot." He started handing out something to each survivor. They were small, disposable digital cameras. "You can take pictures of anything you want to remember from this time in your life. You may not believe it, but when you're older, you will look back on this time and either want to remember it and can't or have fond memories, maybe even miss it."

Jackson and Melissa exchanged looks. They took a few pictures of their rescuers and the group with everyone else then they headed off toward the waterfall to snap a few private pictures. Meanwhile, Ian and Jory were happily chattering away to the videographer and photographer, making them laugh. They were showing them all around their camp. The men seemed impressed with the hut and the garden. Their laughter could still be heard as they headed off down the path to the latrine.

After Captain Russell took a picture of Ian and Jory and Abby in front of the hut and the fire pit, he hobbled to the boat, ready to go. Lieutenant Samuels picked up Abby's pack and led her onto the boat, seating her next to Captain Russell. Eric collapsed their tent and packed it then grabbed his pack and joined Captain Russell on the boat, eager to be off. He couldn't wait to pick up the others then get home. But first, they had to have plenty of food on that big ship that wasn't coconuts or bananas or papayas or fish and he couldn't wait to get some. He started drooling thinking of all the possibilities. _Pizza…__**cold **__drinks…french fries…ice cream…steak! _

Ian and Jory had finished taking pictures and showing the photographers around. They gathered up their stuff and stood with their arms around each other looking at their home away from home.

"I'm gonna miss this place," Jory said. "Is that dumb?"

"No. I'm gonna miss it, too," Ian replied. He looked down at Jory, smiled and kissed the top of her head. "This was the worst and the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Jory returned his smile. "Me too. And I wouldn't trade it for anything." They embraced for a minute then turned and walked to the boat, arms still around each other. They sat with Captain Russell and Abby and started cracking jokes. Abby sat there, still not saying anything but she was smiling at her friends. Lieutenant Samuels was watching her carefully.

Jackson and Melissa returned and grabbed their packs. Before they boarded the boat they stopped and looked back at the camp.

"So, I guess we're really heading back to reality," Melissa said, a tear trickling down her cheek.

"Yeah. But not yet, first we'll get to see the others, and soon," Jackson said, wiping her tear away.

"It _will_ be good to see them again. Do you think they're alright? I mean, look at everything that happened to us in just a few weeks."

"I'm sure they're fine. I mean, they didn't have a psycho with them," he said giving her a silly smile. Melissa laughed. "What's the worst that could have happened? Taylor broke another nail?"

Melissa smiled. "Yeah, I guess." Her face sobered. Jackson thought he knew what she was thinking about.

"And remember, I'm gonna be there for you, no matter what. Okay?"

"Okay," she said. They exchanged smiles, grabbed hands and walked onto the boat, _together_. The ramp closed and the boat started off toward the ship. The captain was telling them that they should be seeing their friends in less than two hours. Eric asked something about food. Melissa wasn't really listening anymore. She was excited to see the others and get home to her parents but there was one nagging thought that wouldn't leave her alone. Jackson would soon be reunited with Taylor and then what would happen? Taylor always got what she wanted. _I can't compete with her. But I can't lose him. After all we've been through these past weeks, I just can't lose him. And don't the past few days prove how he feels about me? Or was I just convenient? Aw, stop it Mel! Maybe you should go talk to the shrink! _All of her old insecurities were coming back. This is exactly what Melissa had feared about returning to the real world. _Great! If it's already happening just because we're going back to the plane, how fast am I gonna lose the 'new me'_ _when we get home? _Melissa took one last look at the island then turned her attention to her friends. She smiled at Jackson and they moved to join the others. She sat there smiling, acting like she was paying attention to their excited conversations but Melissa was stuck in her own head.

_He might pick Taylor…_Another tear escaped from her eye but she wiped it away before he could see it.

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**END BOOK ONE**

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**Call it a cop out if you want, but it was never my intention to kill Melissa in TSWS. The dream wasn't originally intended as a cliffhanger, it just sort of naturally progressed to that (and what writer doesn't enjoy leaving their readers with a 'killer' cliffhanger…)**

**Check out my profile page for some thoughts on "Hotel Tango" and PM me if you would like to chat about it...**

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**Stay tuned for Book Two:**

**Club 29 Down: Then There Were Four**

**And the sequel to both...**


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